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HOT OFF THE PRESS News that informs and inspires in the retail industryA DREAM COMES TRUE FOR TOWNSHIP ENTREPRENEUR IN NEW RETAIL VENTURE

COCA-COLA BEVERAGES SA ADDS 50 ENTREPRENEURS TO DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has added 50 community entrepreneurs to its network of local distribution partners (LDPs) since the beginning of the year, boosting small business development and creating jobs in townships around the country. This brings the total number of LDPs to 149.

Suppliers in the Coca-Cola system – including vehicle manufacturers, truck rental companies, insurance and cash-risk management companies – were also on hand to present their products and service offerings and interact with LDP owners.

CCBSA helps local distribution partners to become thirdparty distributors of its products, ensuring smoother delivery and customer service and creating employment opportunities, mainly in townships. These opportunities are in the form of business ownership, as well as work for drivers, crew and warehouse staff from these communities. A growing number of woman and youth entrepreneurs are seizing the chance to own a business, and 90% of local distribution partners are from previously disadvantaged groups. The programme is a key part of CCBSA’s growth strategy, and connects it to smaller customers in previously underserved markets. It was a day of excitement for Kagiso township when Phenyo Market, co-owned by Mr Lekale-Leru Mashego and Mr Phure Motshabi, turned a lifelong dream into reality. The Motshabi family has been trading at two different sites since the 1960s in the Kagiso community. In 1984, Motshabi’s father bought the Phenyo site and Motshabi has been running a store on it since 2010. Now, with the help of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, Pick n Pay, the Masisizane Fund, the Brimstone Legacy Fund and the Old Mutual Foundation, he has transformed his store into a modern enterprise that will be a big boost to his local community. Mashego is his partner in the business.

“Working together makes things happen”

At 522 m², Phenyo Market will now feature a full bakery, deli and butchery, as well as a comprehensive range of foodstuffs at competitive prices and a liquor store. Located on the main road in the centre of town and within walking distance of the busy Chamdor industrial area, the store will be very convenient for local residents, who until now have had to travel 5kms to shop for fresh food and groceries at Kagiso Mall. Mashego’s store also includes new refrigeration and IT systems, and will offer a full value-added service range including money transfers, ticketing, airtime and data, bill payments, lottery tickets and the sale of prepaid electricity, and two ATMs.

Mashego said he was “excited and a little bit nervous” on the eve of realising his dream. As well as giving customers an exciting and modern shopping experience, he will be employing more than 40 people in the store, compared to just six before.

From L-R: Mr Lekale Mashego Market Store Owner Mr Phure Motshabi Co-Owner Phenyo Market Mayor of Mogale City - Naga Lipudi Richard van Rensburg-Pick n Pay Deputy CEO

PICK N PAY LAUNCHES NEW STORE ACCOUNT

Pick n Pay has launched an exciting new Store Account, with great benefits for all qualifying Smart Shoppers and other customers who sign up to be a Smart Shopper. The Pick n Pay Store Account offers customers up to 55 days interest-free credit if the balance on their account is paid in full each month. These customers will continue to receive Smart Shopper benefits, plus added benefits unique to Store Account holders. The first of these benefits will be a R200 discount off R500 or more spent on their first shop using the Store Account. There is no charge for opening a Store Account, and customers face no transaction charges, no admin fees and no joining fees. Monthly Store Account fees are only R10 for active users. There will be no monthly account fee if the Store Account has no balance and is not used in that month.

SAB AND AB INBEV MARK ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BUSINESS COMBINATION SIGNIFICANT FOCUS ON PUBLIC INTEREST COMMITMENTS MADE TO SA GOVERNMENT

The South African Breweries (SAB) and AB InBev have marked one year since the two global brewers combined their businesses in October 2016.

The combined organisation continues to build a truly global company that strives to brew the best beer with the best ingredients, and is built to last for the next 100 years. The business combination has brought together significant intellectual synergies, enabling them to share and integrate the best practices of both companies. Over the last year, the business has been transformed to achieve the dream of creating a better world in which everyone has the opportunity to improve their lives, with a particular focus on communities. In Africa, the three key priorities of this strategy are job creation, promoting nutrition and health, and reducing harm caused by the misuse of alcohol. “We are proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in South Africa and across Africa in just one year, thanks to the remarkable work of our team. Their efforts showcase what we have been able to achieve by bringing together two great companies to create one team, with one dream – to bring people together for a better world,” says Ricardo Tadeu, zone president for SAB and AB InBev Africa.

The organisation has worked hard over the past year on its public interest commitments (PICs) made to the government and regulatory authorities during the business combination in late 2016. The PICs include a R1 billion investment over five years in the areas of agriculture (R610 million), enterprise and supplier development (R200 million) and societal benefits (R190 million); reinforcing a transformation agenda across the business. Job creation is embedded in the company’s business strategy, which focuses on fostering a better world where everyone has an opportunity to improve their livelihoods.