RFG is accelerating its renewable energy infrastructure programme in response to load shedding, with solar installations planned for a further seven manufacturing facilities over the next two years. Solar energy has already been installed at the group’s fruit juice plant in Wellington and vegetable products factory in Limpopo. The first of the seven new installations
The Shoprite Group is increasing the availability of clean drinking water in rural communities by expanding its support of PlayPumps to 50 sites across South Africa benefitting more than 18 000 people. PlayPumps are “merry-go-rounds” that pump water from boreholes into reservoirs as children play on them, providing a reliable source of clean drinking water
KFC Africa proudly appoints first black female GM KFC (www.global.KFC.com) today announced the appointment of its very first black female General Manager for Africa – Akhona Qengqe – who will step into this role on 01 April 2023. She will replace outgoing GM – Dhruv Kaul, who is moving into a GM role for KFC
In an ongoing programme of retail experience transformation, SPAR Zimbabwe invested in another of their core stores. The renovation was completed in just four weeks and has increased the area dedicated to fresh and frozen foods as well as the food service offer. The SPAR Supermarket which reopened on 22 February is located in the
In a landmark collaborative initiative, Visa and Discovery Bank today announced their Spendtrend23 report, which is aimed at identifying and understanding shifts in consumer spending behaviour during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include: South Africans’ spending via credit card has bounced back and is more than 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Spend on categories
By Sasha Ramjathan, Leader of the CPG Segment for Southern Africa at Schneider Electric The consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry stands to benefit greatly from digital innovation advancements. According to a paper entitled the next frontier in consumer goods: digitally enabled innovation by the strategy firm McKinsey & Company, digitisation can bring new products to market
“The future of retail is the ability to create a seamless shopping experience across online and offline” As online shopping continues to grow in the country, customers are spoilt for choice on how and where they shop. Trends show that many South Africans are increasingly choosing to shop both in-store and online, or often simultaneously,
The Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has approved the international transaction between European brewer, Heineken, and South African alcohol producer, Distell, subject to competition and public interest-related conditions that enhance and tighten proposed remedies tendered by the merging parties, and recommended by the Competition Commission (“Commission”). In terms of the merger the Heineken Group, through Sunside Acquisitions
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Massmart has donated R1 million to the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALF) NPC’s – Nonjulabuchopho Project, that researches Gender Based Violence and alcohol abuse. Massmart’s contribution will be used to support and develop talented female academics who are interested in researching Gender Based Violence and alcohol abuse. “Rates of
Unaudited results for the 26 weeks ended 1 January 2023 DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH SEES HALF-YEAR SALES EXCEEDING R100 BILLION Key information – continuing operations Group sale of merchandise increased by 16.8% to R106.3 billion Supermarkets RSA sale of merchandise increased by 17.5% to R85.1 billion Diluted headline earnings per share (DHEPS) increased by 10.2% to
Admittedly seeing another loadshedding article can mean lights out for many – turn the page – next, as the hum of generators trigger a fragile sense of ‘normality’ when all we want is power plays, not dark delays. Despite the severity of the current status quo, humour typically prevails– “imagine what they’re going to say
Sustainability has become a top priority for many industries and the South African hospitality industry is no exception. The increasing demand for eco-friendly and socially responsible tourism has led to sustainable food trends in hotels, resorts and restaurants. This is the opinion of Etresia Booysen, a senior lecturer at the IIE’s School of Hospitality &
Today, Danone Southern Africa announced that they have appointed marketing expert, Thandeka Ngqumeya, to join their team as Marketing Director for Southern Africa. Thandeka has a strong track record in growing successful global brands on the local stage having worked previously for brands such as Kimberley Clark, L’Oreal, and for the past 10 years at
Every successful retailer knows that to nurture customer loyalty and establish a strong brand, you have got to perfect four key considerations: product, price, place, and promotion. First introduced in the 1950s, these are old principles, but they remain essential in understanding the foundations of the retail industry. However, in the South African market, where
Unaudited results for the 26 weeks ended 1 January 2023 DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH SEES HALF YEAR SALES EXCEEDING R100 BILLION Key information – continuing operations Group sale of merchandise increased by 16.8% to R106.3 billion Supermarkets RSA sale of merchandise increased by 17.5% to R85.1 billion Diluted headline earnings per share (DHEPS) increased by 10.2%
SPAR Zimbabwe planted 10,000 trees on 3 December 2022 and is sowing the seeds for 20,000 more in 2023. Through this initiative, the retailer was the country’s largest non-commercial planter of trees this planting season. This number of trees planted was also a boost for SPAR International’s campaign for tree planting, which began in 2022.
A newly released study revealed that South Africans’ online spending patterns and behaviour continued to grow at a rapid pace in 2022. This is despite the country’s ongoing recovery from lockdown restrictions and social distancing. The comprehensive results of the Online Retail in South Africa 2022 study, released today by World Wide Worx with Mastercard,
A growing number of successful companies and organisations across South Africa are investing in innovative Customer Relations Management (CRM) platforms to help grow their business, boost sales and deliver excellent customer service. “CRM technology is one of the most effective solutions to help companies who are serious about growing their business and giving their employees
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has welcomed the National Budget presented on 22 February by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Enoch Gondongwana which had some positive announcements which will benefit the consumer goods sector in particular and the economy in general. The announcements also showed that the government was beginning to listen
The SPAR Brand has entered the Angolan retail market, opening nine SPAR Express convenience stores during the past twelve months. The license to operate the SPAR brand in Angola was granted to a well-established local retail and distribution company, United Investimentos. Adapting international best practices from the SPAR network to suit local market needs has
Smaller manufacturers may benefit due to agility & smaller overheads to fill local supply gaps Staples come out tops as consumers seek long-lasting product offerings 40% fewer shopping trips per month compared to two years ago COVID-19 trends of homebound economy and fewer trips to stores continue OVERVIEW – The current power crisis is creating
Spur Corporation continued its post Covid-19 recovery to produce a strong trading performance for the six months to December 2022 as revenue increased by 35.0% to R1.5 billion and group profit before tax by 103.0% to R168 million. Revenue growth was driven by the 31.5% increase in franchised restaurant sales, higher sales in the retail
For the love of the environment: Pick n Pay on track to achieving 2025 plastic waste reduction targets Pick n Pay has removed all plastic barrier bags from its till points – a first in South Africa that will prevent over 20 million of these small bags from entering the environment. Barrier bags are traditionally
SPAR Namibia is proud to announce its partnership with the Namibian Ice & Inline Hockey Association (NIIHA) for the next three years. SPAR Namibia will ensure that all training camps, team wear, entry and coaching fees, as well as travel costs of the teams’ coaches and managers relating to the national teams, will be covered.
With recent research showing that only 14% of South African consumers are ready to go completely cashless, retailers should be looking at ways to accommodate their customers’ preferred way to pay, while also reducing their operating costs. Leading retailers are looking towards automating the handling and management of cash, so that they can meet this objective. The
Bolt, the leading mobility app in Africa, has announced plans to invest €500 million in its operations on the continent over the next two years. The funds will be used to expand Bolt services in Africa and create opportunities for over 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform in 2023. Having launched in
UK-headquartered global technology firm, RedCloud Technology, is proud to announce the appointment of Sameer Jooma as the General Manager for South Africa. Sameer, who has a wealth of experience in ecosystem development, will be responsible for accelerating the adoption of the world’s first Open Commerce platform, Red101, and driving growth in the Southern Africa region. An
Standard Bank is pleased to announce that it advised Vivo Energy on its combination with Engen to create one of Africa’s largest energy distribution companies. The combined group will have over 3,900 service stations and more than two billion litres of storage capacity across 27 African countries. Engen is the clear market leader in South
43% of surveyed consumers already feel like they are living in a recession. 74% say that increased costs of living are to blame for their recent financial struggles. 48% mention they only have enough money for food, shelter, and the basics. 32% have turned to online to get better deals, save on gas and minimize
Oracle and Uber Technologies, Inc., has announced a seven-year strategic cloud partnership to accelerate Uber’s innovation, help deliver new products to market, and drive increased profitability. As Uber continues to grow and enter new markets, it is increasingly important for the business to focus resources on its core strengths and strategic initiatives. By migrating some
Vukile’s South African and Spanish retail property portfolios delivered strong sales performances in November and December 2022, with excellent Black Friday and festive season trading growth, despite worsening load shedding and water security challenges in South Africa. Vukile is a specialist retail REIT that holds a defensive portfolio of property assets of which 44% are
The increased flow of shoppers to in-store pickup points is breathing new life into traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. The numbers don’t lie It doesn’t seem that long ago that customers saw online and in-store as two separate shopping experiences. You were either in the online camp or a brick-and-mortar die-hard, and never the twain shall meet.
Retail chains across the country scrambled to upgrade existing platforms or create online stores to ensure they could continue operating during the hard lockdown in 2020. During this period online shopping experienced unprecedented growth, irrevocably changing shopping behaviour. Many small businesses did not survive the lockdowns. A study by FinFind and the Department of Small
Leading home improvement, DIY and building materials retailer, Builders has announced the appointment of Karen Ferrini as Vice President of Builders and member of the Massmart Executive Committee. Effective 1 February 2023, Ferrini takes over Herman Venter’s position following his appointment to Group Chief Merchandise Officer (CMO). With almost 25 years’ experience in retail and
PnP Offers free dietary guidelines from in-house dietitian at PnP Pick n Pay has taken significant steps to improve the health of South Africans by removing over 3,500 tonnes of salt and sugar from its private label range over the last five years. Consumers the world over – and South Africans are no exception –
Global research over more than two decades by institutions such as MasterCard, Visa, The World Bank, commercial banks and mobile network operators (MNOs) affirms that the most powerful tool to drive revenue and impact is to connect consumers, merchants, banks and brands to drive financial inclusion and deep customer engagement, and ultimately maximise value for
Online demand for products is growing rapidly, but amid supply chain disruptions there is a greater need to deliver items to customers effectively. Technology, however, is finding a way Transport and logistics are soaring in Africa, with further rapid growth predicted for years to come. That’s the word from the World Economic Forum and African
Today’s customers are more empowered and sophisticated than ever before. They are exposed to a multitude of goods and services, and product parity makes defining your company’s competitive edge more challenging. Great customer service has become the key differentiator in attracting and retaining customers. But delivering great customer service requires the right tools. 1Stream, southern
According to the December 2022 Household Affordability Index, low income households are changing their purchasing patterns in response to increasingly challenging affordability conditions. This varies from home to home according to each one’s social standards with one thing being synonymous – the impact of food inflation and the general increase in the cost of living
Tiger Brands was recently certified as a Level 2 B-BBEE contributor. Tiger Brands first achieved Level 2 contributor status in the 2021 review period following year-on-year improvements. The achievement is attributed to a deliberate cross-functional drive focusing on empowerment initiatives that include skills development for unemployed individuals, management control at Board and Executive Director level
Retailers are ramping up digital transformation to keep pace with the demanding, connected post-COVID consumer and improve operational efficiency in a time of rising inflation. As they accelerate migration to the cloud and evolve towards an omnichannel business model, retailers often find that costs and wastage in their IT and telecoms environments start to rise.
By 2025 the value of ecommerce transactions in SA is expected to reach R225bn as reported by IOL with the market itself estimated to reach R400bn the same year “Chatting to industry experts at the end of last year at the GIBS SA Retail Industry Conference – the general consensus was that innovation, flexibility and
The Top Employers Institute announced Massmart as a Top Employer in South Africa for the second consecutive year, ranking the organisation in the top 25% of participating employers globally. The program has recognized and certified 2051 participating employers in 121 countries, across 5 continents and being certified as a Top Employer showcases an organisation’s dedication
More than 25 million South African consumers saved a combined R7 billion on their grocery bills during the past six months (July to December 2022) through the Xtra Savings programme at Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets. It has contributed to fending off soaring living costs with Xtra Savings members swiping their rewards cards over 238 million times to benefit from
Online retail in South Africa passed the R50-billion milestone in 2022, driven by an ongoing boom in demand for home deliveries, according to new research findings released today. “Online Retail in South Africa 2022”, a study conducted by World Wide Worx with Mastercard, reveals that the total growth for online retail in South Africa in
The workplace has undergone a major transition over the past three years, placing pressure on companies and organisations to relook at their office structure and workflows, as well as the tools they have in place to manage the challenges these changes present. Jed Hewson, CEO of 1Stream, Southern Africa’s leading CRM and contact centre technology provider, highlights
You might soon be able to pick up your Takealot order at your nearest Pick n Pay Pick n Pay has launched a new pick-up point for Takealot customers in a store in Cape Town. This is part of a pilot giving customers the huge convenience of picking up their non-food online orders while shopping
The overriding retail trend for 2023 will be convergence of technologies and this trend will have widespread significance. This is according to Ajay Lalu, Director and co-Founder of Q-HOP – exhibitor at NRF 2023 – who adds that retailers must wake up to the implications—and opportunities—of profoundly disruptive technology trends. “5G will continue to lead
South Africa’s leading payment gateway provider Payfast has undergone a major rebrand. Having joined forces with PayGate and SiD under Network International, the company has created a new home for its consolidated offering. With a renewed focus on enabling growth – for the brand, its merchants, and the broader ecommerce industry – this milestone represents
As we enter 2023, it seems the year will not be any easier for South African retailers or consumers than 2021 and 2022. Fitch forecasts that real household spending will decelerate in line with a wider economic slowdown, while higher inflation and interest rates will provide headwinds for the economy. Volatile exchange rates, continued electricity shortages and high
