Shoprite has confirmed it will close its two remaining stores in Kenya, in an otherwise impressive set of annual results that have seen group sales increase by 6.4% to R156.9bn ($9.32bn) in the 52 weeks to 28th June 2020. There is …

Egyptian cheese producer Domty and FrieslandCampina have signed an MoU to explore joint business opportunities in Africa. The companies plan to collaborate to export cheese to other African countries. Domty was founded in 1988 in Egypt. It is a leader in the Egyptian …

Internet retailer Jumia’s Q2 results show losses are narrowing, consumer numbers have grown and the COVID-19 pandemic has been a mixed blessing – driving sales of FMCG products but hitting big ticket items, discretionary products and Jumia Food, its food …

Spar has entered Ghana, taking over Citydia’s network of 17 stores and partnering with EcoDi (Economic Distribution Company Ghana), which launched the Citydia chain in the country in 2015. The launch will see EcoDi convert 17 existing Citydia supermarkets in and around …

Ghana’s government has granted Kasapreko, a major local manufacturer of spirits and soft drinks, a $28m tax waiver. The waiver has been granted under the 1D1F (one District, one Factory) program. The tax waiver will be used to fund the restart operations …

20 startups have been selected as part of the 5th edition of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Program. Among them are three companies seeking to reinvent logistics in African markets: Thumeza, Amitruck and Send. Google’s prestigious Startups Accelerator Africa Program …

Standard Chartered has announced that Kasapreko Company Ltd (KCL) has become its first client to tap into the bank’s $1bn financing commitment to help companies tackling COVID-19. KCL, which makes the popular Alomo Bitters brand, will set up a production facility …

DHL Express has taken a minority stake in Link Commerce, the UK-based e-commerce platform that sits beneath MallforAfrica.com and DHL’s Africa eShop service. DHL is betting on a fundamental change in purchasing behaviours in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which …

Ghanaian startup mPharma, which provides a digital prescription drug inventory service for pharmacies and their suppliers, has raised $17 million in its latest funding round. In March 2019 it raised $12m in a Series B round. The company has operated …

At Trendtype we have decided to put our thoughts down on paper, as it were. Headline: there are lots of reasons to believe that African countries may emerge from COVID-19 in better (or less worse) shape than developed economies in …

SA mall owner Hyprop Investments, which has 54,569m² of exposure to struggling SA retailer Edcon, is still looking to sell its underperforming malls in Ghana and Nigeria. The company has stakes in Accra Mall, West Hills Mall and Kumasi City …

The problem is retail development rankings are useless. Worse than useless, actually. We explain why we don’t trust AT Kearney’s Global Retail Development Index when it comes to Africa. A few years ago we wanted to build a retail market …

Massmart, Walmart’s South African subsidiary, has started the consultation process to close up to 34 stores in South Africa as part of the turnaround plan from new CEO, Walmart veteran Mitchell Slape. But Massmart needs a more radical change of focus. …

So here are our big themes in 2019 and a look ahead to 2020. It’s been another eventful year in African consumer and retail markets in 2019. Some big retail players coming unstuck In grocery retail, some big players have come …