Tiger Brands scooped five prestigious awards at last week’s Gold Pack Awards and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) South Africa’s Smarties Awards for 2019. Tinkies were the big Tiger winners as they came back with three awards at the MMA’s winning all the categories they had entered. Tinkies won a Gold medal for Cross Mobile
The Shoprite Group’s most effective, innovative and reliable suppliers were rewarded at its 2019 Supplier Awards this past weekend. Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of Africa’s largest food retailer, said the integrity and efficiency of the Group’s supply chain is key to its business success. It works with 19 398 suppliers across 15 African countries and 13
Digital freight forwarder Saloodo! today launched its digital logistics platform for shippers and transport providers in South Africa First international digital road freight platform to be launched in the continent; Provides shippers and carriers a one-stop platform for road freight connections for domestic shipments within South Africa and international movements to several neighbouring countries; Further
A new rooftop solar PV (photovoltaic) installation at the Shoprite Group’s Gordon’s Bay Mall is expected to generate more than 720 000 kWh per annum, amounting to about a third of the centre’s total electricity use. The Gordon’s Bay Mall is the seventh solar PV plant that the Group has installed. Its installations in Kimberley,
As part of a multi-faceted project to separate Marlton’s entire ICT infrastructure from that of its former holding company, Ascendis Health, LanDynamix moved the company’s e-mail environment to Microsoft Office 365. Founded in 1945, Marltons Pet Care (Pty) Ltd., is South Africa’s No. 1 Pet Care brand* offering an extensive range of quality products from
By Andrew Dawson, Commercial Director at MACmobile The cash problem The simplest way of optimising route to market is through pre-sales, which then creates a predictable order and allows for the best delivery routes to be calculated. However, for much of the market in South Africa this is simply not the reality. To service the
Innovative consumer finance business RCS – a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, European leader in financing for individuals, itself part of the French bank BNP Paribas – has acquired the Absa funded portion of the Edcon Store Card debtors book, subject to regulatory approvals. It has also secured the right to provide consumer finance
Clicks Group increased diluted headline earnings per share by 16.8% to 672 cents in the year to August 2019, as the retail and distribution businesses both delivered strong performances in an environment of low economic growth and challenging trading conditions. The group increased its total dividend by 17.1% to 445 cents per share, with the
Famous Brands is a leading food services franchisor. The Group’s vertically integrated business model comprises a portfolio of 20 restaurant brands, represented by 2 879 restaurants across South Africa (“SA”), the rest of Africa and the Middle East (“AME”), and the United Kingdom (“UK”). The Brands division is underpinned by substantial Logistics and Manufacturing operations.
Where technology and Convenience Merge One app in three years by three perspectives In three years, Uber Eats has completely changed food consumption in South Africa. It’s convenience made affordable, accessible and attainable. That’s why Uber Eats has become one of the most popular food delivery apps, not just locally but globally, redefining an entire
Global on-demand courier service company Glovo, which links motorcycle riders to consumers wishing to buy and deliver products, has partnered with News Cafe in a move aimed at expanding their market footprint in the country. The firm, which uses an app to enable its deliveries has partnered with the South African franchise to enable it
The Shoprite Group is whole-heartedly committed to employment in Africa, as their staff complement of 147 268 attests. The Group is proud to be the largest employer, after government, in South Africa. In only one week, almost 120 new jobs were created by the opening of three supermarkets in South Africa. Shoprite Stimela Barberton Shoprite
Trading profit up 15.8% to R641.5 million on a normalised basis Headline earnings per share up 11.6% on a normalised basis Diluted headline earnings per share up 13.1% on a normalised basis Turnover growth of 5.1% to R39.3 billion Internal inflation restricted to 3.6%, well below CPI food inflation of 6.9% R500 million investment in
Online payment gateway, PayFast, has launched Split Payments, a South African-first that instantly splits a portion of an online payment with a third party. The service is designed to facilitate fast, safe payments for platform-based businesses, including online marketplaces. “PayFast has always seen itself as a business enabler. We realised that the growing platform economy
Positive South African performance delivers overall Group earnings growth, despite challenges in Zambia and Zimbabwe Trading profit in core South African business up 16.4%, with trading profit margin up from 2.5% to 2.8% of turnover Group turnover growth of 6.0% on a comparable basis (6.2% on a constant currency basis) South African turnover growth of
South Africa is home to a nation of promotion obsessed shoppers. This insight stems from a Nielsen analysis on The Price of Promoting, which shows that 75% of South Africans claimed to know the prices of grocery items they regularly buy and notice changes in price, versus 69% in 2018, and their spending habits confirm
The Online Retail in South Africa 2019 research study by World Wide Worx and Platinum Seed reports that online retail growth continues on a steep trajectory. In the forward to the report, Visa points out that South African digital commerce is growing at an impressive four times the rate of traditional commerce and mobile commerce
The 2019 Nielsen South Africa Shopper Trends Report has found that ‘lowest prices’ are no longer the key driver of store choice in the country and that value for money, along with the shopping experience is what is driving South African shopper feet through the door. Shopper Trends is an annual report based on multiple
Six years ago, Uber hit the streets of South Africa and is now moving over one million *active riders across six cities. What started as a solution to get a ride at the push of a button has changed how riders navigate across their cities with the longest trip in the last year tracking at
The Group’s results for the six months ended 31 August 2019 will be published on or about 28 October 2019. In the interim, it is appropriate to provide shareholders with a brief voluntary performance update on the business. This update pertains to the six months ended 31 August 2019 for the Group’s South Africa (“SA”)
The Tribunal has today approved the merger involving Milco SA (Pty) Ltd (Milco) and Clover Industries Ltd (Clover) subject to a range of employment, local procurement of bulk juice concentrate, and information sharing conditions. Employment effects The Tribunal initially had concerns with the merging parties’ tendered employment-related conditions in terms of which 516 workers would
Checkers Hyper revealed its state-of-the-art flagship store in Sandton City this morning, complete with chocolatier bar, an open-flame pizza oven, an in-store Kauai and an extensive range of innovative new products. Customers can look forward to a world-class shopping environment with unique experiences never before offered in a South African supermarket, such as: Famous Beluga
Argility – a member of the Argility Technology Group – an SA leader in enterprise software solutions innovations for the retail and supply chain industries – has announced the appointment of a Retail Solutions Consultant , Stefan Terblanche, with specific focus on the retail market. Stefan brings almost thirty years’ experience in the South African
South Africa’s latest Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for the second quarter of 2019 shows a three point increase to 93, presenting a marginally more positive quarter on quarter picture for consumer sentiment in South Africa. Nielsen South Africa Connect MD Kerith Botha says; “Despite experiencing tight financial conditions due to factors such as rising fuel
Focused on leveraging group scale more effectively to optimise store portfolio performance, improve buying and logistics efficiencies and reduce costs Massmart today reported interim results for the 26 weeks ended 30 June 2019 against a backdrop that offers little external support, both in South Africa and the 12 other African countries in which Massmart operates.
Woolworths Holdings Ltd (WHL) today announced results for the 53 weeks ended 30 June 2019. For comparative reporting, the Group also presented trade for 52 weeks and the commentary below relates to the 52-week period. Group sales for 52 weeks increased by 3.9% to R78.2 billion with adjusted profit before tax down 3.7% to R4.6bn.
Spur Corporation increased headline earnings by 10.2% to R165 million in the year to June 2019 as trading conditions continue to be challenging in South Africa while the international business was impacted by weak economic conditions and high operating costs in Australia. Total franchised restaurant sales across the local and international operations increased by 7.2%
This week representatives from Walmart’s Global Sourcing team are in Johannesburg to meet with 18 of Massmart’s South African suppliers who are interested in exploring opportunities to export their products to Walmart markets. This is as a result of a discussion that took place at the World Economic Forum in Davos between Minister of Trade
The new Edgars brand concept is unlike anything we’ve seen before in South Africa, seamlessly translating the brand’s new positioning and business direction into a physical open-floor space that immediately evokes a sense of play. Ever since Edgars re-launched the brand last year, the retail giant has been collaborating with South African culture and actively
On its ongoing commitment to phase out single-use plastic shopping bags by 2020, Woolworths has announced its first trial of specially-designed paper bags for fashion, beauty and homeware purchases. In alignment with its Good Business Journey, every aspect of the impact of the new paper bags has been considered, from improved care for the environment,
• Purpose, Value, and Convenience emerge as drivers of consumption and innovation • Need for consumer-centric growth strategies The South African consumer landscape is currently fragmented and polarised, characterised by the double edged demand of the South African consumer. Some are feeling more prosperous, while others are amongst the most stretched spenders in the world.
A new payment services platform, utilised by two of South Africa’s oldest member organisations, promises to open up the buy-aid market to consumers and retailers alike. Co-Switch, a newly launched closed-loop payments platform, is currently being introduced to Cape Consumers and Iemas’ members and retail partners. Cape Consumers under their Bsmart card brand and Iemas
Checkers opened the doors to its 100th store in Gauteng at Ferndale on Republic, previously known as Brightwater Commons in Randburg, on Thursday, 29 August 2019. Almost 90 new jobs were created, bringing the full staff complement at Checkers Ferndale to 137, of which 105 are women and 108 are youth (between the ages of
Through the strategic investment, Standard Bank has launched a mobile application, powered by Nomanini, which offers underserved informal retailers financial services for the first time CAPE TOWN, 27th August 2019—Nomanini, the pioneering fintech platform for the informal retail ecosystem, has today announced a $4m funding round led by Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank, and completed
Consumers are embracing the technology offered by virtual cards, as Standard Bank starts to see the benefits of online shopping ecosystem, nine months after the launch its virtual card proposition. In the past nine months, virtual card payments have increased by more than 300%, though they started off at a very low base. A virtual
Trendy Italian underwear, clothing and swimwear brand, Yamamay, has launched its first South African flagship store at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria, finally bringing its exclusive international fashion ranges to local shores. Yamamay officially opened its doors to the South African public on Wednesday, 24 July 2019, with Stefano Ligrone, the First Secretary in
Lightstone reveals how the service station industry offering continues to evolve in a demanding environment. At the Nedbank Franchising Roadshow Lightstone, the provider of comprehensive data, analytics and systems on property, pointed out that the service station sector plays a pivotal role in the franchise industry and its forecast. Linda Reid, Head of Commercial Property
UnionPay International (UPI) has announced significant progress in the South African retail payments market through their co-operation with Pick n Pay and Absa Bank. Through a tripartite co-operation agreement, Pick n Pay, a major food, clothing and general merchandise retailer, is now enabled to accept UnionPay cards at all of its till points across its
Affordable clothing retailer Pep Stores leads the pack in terms of customer satisfaction ratings in the latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index(SA-csi) for Clothing Stores, conducted by Consulta. The 2018 SA-csi for Clothing Stores ranks Ackermans, Edgars, Jet, Mr. Price, Pep Stores, Truworths and Woolworths based on highly scientific insights into the overall level of
Customers can pay bills, buy cellphones, tickets, lotto, electricity and even insurance at Shoprite’s new k’nect stores Six more k’nect stores opening before mid-August 2019 Global money transfers at k’nect stores and Money Market counters are cheaperer than any other available transfers, no hidden costs and convenient for customers The Shoprite Group is making it
The landscape of retail is transforming faster than ever before. Every day there are new smart ideas that are raising the bar for retail excellence. From innovative tailor-made apps for employees to personalised customer welcoming technology, Massmart’s first-ever Digital Bootcamp gave a glimpse at the technological innovations redefining retail. Six individuals, six weeks, two hours
GfK South Africa has launched its Smart Path solution, one of the first offerings in the local market to give brands and retailers in the technical goods and consumer durables industries a complete view of the online and offline consumer path to purchase. GfK Smart Path combines social media listening, survey data and client point
PepsiCo (PEP.O) has struck a deal to buy South Africa’s Pioneer Food Group (PFGJ.J) for $1.7 billion, the companies said on Friday, lifting Pioneer’s shares and boosting a sector that has been hit by drought and tough trading conditions. The U.S. drinks and snack group said on Friday that Pioneer’s product portfolio was complementary to
Spur Corporation increased total franchised restaurant sales by 7.2% to R7.6 billion in the year to 30 June 2019. Franchised restaurant sales in South Africa grew by 6.2%, with sales from international restaurants increasing by 16.2% in Rand terms. International restaurant sales increased by 12.3% on a constant exchange rate basis. These results include the
An Exciting Product Innovation Aimed at the Retail Sector. The Argility Technology Group has announced the release of its latest innovation: PredictRetail, a Google Cloud native application offering predictive analytics to retailers. PredictRetail enables retailers to make better business decisions, by using machine learning, data science and predictive modelling, to extract insights from historical data
Integrated ICT and infrastructure provider, Vox has introduced the Vox WiFi Retail Lite solution targeting coffee shops, restaurants, and other small service businesses where customers have come to depend on freely available WiFi access. “Retail stores can ill afford not to provide customers with high-speed WiFi connectivity given the increased connected lifestyles we lead. The
FNB has revealed that South African consumers are showing strong appetite to save after its customers initiated nearly 20 000 savings goals in just a few days since the launch of the Savings Goals feature on the Bank’s App. To date, some of the top Savings Goals that have been chosen by consumers include: saving
Footgear – backed by Old Mutual Private Equity (OMPE), has announced that it has acquired the Edgars Active and High Key chain stores, divisions of the Edcon Group, and leading retailers of branded sport and lifestyle footwear, clothing and accessories. The transaction remains subject to conditions precedent, including regulatory approvals. The acquisition, funded by growth
Shoprite created 100 jobs with the opening of its new store in Marapyane, Mpumalanga on Thursday, 27 June. The store’s total staff complement is 137, which includes 124 youth (between the ages of 18 and 35) and 82 women. Shoppers eagerly gathered to be amongst the first to benefit from the store’s opening specials and
• 30% of the total volume of products were sold at a discounted price in 2018 • 66% of promotions don’t break-even South Africa is home to a nation of promotion obsessed shoppers. This insight stems from a newly released Nielsen report The Price of Promoting, which shows that 75% of South Africans claimed to
