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 …

Pick n Pay is piloting a new packaging-free zone at its Constantia store in Cape Town. The zone includes 88 food products sourced directly from suppliers and delivered to the supermarket in bulk reusable containers. The trial is designed to assess …

Clicks, one of South Africa’s two leading pharmacy chains, has partnered with leading service statin operator Engen for its Clicks ClubCard loyalty scheme. The partnership means Clicks ClubCard holders earn points when they swipe their cards at participating Engen outlets. Clicks, …

Grand Parade Investments (GPI), the master franchise holder for Burger King in South Africa, is looking to offload a majority stake in the fast food chain’s operations in the country. The move comes after the company closed down its Dunkin …

Embattled Botswanan supermarket group Choppies has sold its stores and distribution centres in South Africa to Kind Investments Proprietary Limited for R1 ($0.07). Kind Investments Proprietary Limited will also take over all the Choppies’ debt in South Africa and is obliged …

Nampak, Africa’s largest packaging company, has incurred fx losses of R2bn ($135.6m) for the financial year ended 30th September 2019. Nampak has faced a double whammy of hyperinflation in Zimbabwe and the devaluation of the Angolan kwanza. It has also faced …

South Africa’s Competition Commission has ordered supermarket chains to drop exclusivity clauses in shopping mall leases. At present according to their research, 70% of South Africa’s shopping centres are subject to exclusive lease agreements – some lasting 30 years. The development could …

Peer to peer farmer network and marketplace WeFarm has raised $13m in Series A round of funding. The round was led by True Ventures, with AgFunder and June Fund also investing. It means WeFarm has raised a total of $20m to …

Taste Holdings, the Starbucks franchisee in South Africa, has sold its 13 Starbucks stores in the country for R7m ($475,000). It is also seeking to sell its Domino’s Pizza franchise and its The Fish & Chips Co and Maxi’s QSR …

Shoprite as just released results for the 3 months to September 2019. Supermarket revenues in South Africa rose by 10.3% over the period. Sales outside South Africa fell by 4.9%. CEO Pieter Engelbrecht has told investors Shoprite is actively considering exiting …

South African startup Yebo Fresh, which delivers grocery products into black townships, has closed a second round of funding. The company, which was founded in September 2018, will use the funding to improve its technology platform and accelerate growth. Funding …

Grand Parade Investments (GPI), Burger King’s franchisee in South Africa, has reported sales of its Burger King outlets in the year to end June 2019 rose by 34.2% to R1.01bn ($68m). The sales growth also moved the company into a …