This milestone agreement signifies the start of an innovative sustainable relationship between Proudly South African and Shoprite, which will offer South African consumers a wide range of locally sourced quality goods at the lowest prices, and also promote job creation, fair labour practice and environmental responsibility.
Brian Weyers, general manager marketing of the Shoprite group, says Shoprite's undertaking with Proudly South African will create positive spin-offs for local suppliers by granting Proudly South African member companies the opportunity to tender for goods and services.
"Shoprite has committed to sourcing South African products," Weyers said. "The strategic importance for local suppliers lies in their access to retail space in our multi-national retail chain. As the biggest exporter of local products into Africa, Shoprite will explore opportunities of promoting South African products beyond its borders."
The Chief Executive of Proudly South African, Martin Feinstein, has welcomed the Shoprite group's commitment to the campaign. "Independent research confirms that more than 75% of the population of South Africa are aware of the campaign and support its objectives, the real challenge is to ensure that when those consumers walk into a retail store, they can follow through on their positive feelings by choosing Proudly South African products."
"They can only do this if those products are promoted by retailers, and this is why the Shoprite Group's commitment is so important. We welcome their role in the campaign as a strategic partner. Their support reflects their commitment to the country, its people and its manufacturers," added Feinstein.
Shoprite is a business truly "made in SA", having grown from a small eight-outlet chain with a R12 million turnover in the mid-eighties to the largest supermarket group in Africa today, with a turnover exceeding R26 billion.
To accommodate the Group's over 39 million shopper transactions monthly, Shoprite employs some 66 000 people in 537 corporate stores in South Africa, under an impressive list of brands, including Shoprite, Checkers, OK Furniture, Checkers Hyper, House and Home, U-Save and Hungry Lion.
As retailers, the Group shares the fundamental motivation with the Proudly South African Campaign that Shoprite has a strategic role to play in actively promoting a "buy local" message. This co-operation is crucial to the success of the investment by government and the private sector in protecting South African jobs and creating new employment in South Africa.
The Proudly South African campaign was launched several years ago by Government, business, labour and community to promote quality South African companies and products.
Shoprite / Proudly South African
