The Shoprite Group of Companies, Africa's largest food retailer, operates 1068 corporate and 275 franchise outlets in 17 countries across Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and southern Asia, and reported turnover of R29,604 billion for the 6 months ended 31 December 2008. The Company's head quarters are situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Shoprite Holdings Ltd is a public company listed on the JSE Limited, with secondary listings on both the Namibian and Zambian Stock Exchanges. Its ownership therefore lies in the hands of its almost 5 000 shareholders. The Group is continuing its implementation of a strategic expansion programme to maintain its position as the leading food retailer on the continent.

THE GROUP

Shoprite Holdings Ltd comprises the following entities: the Shoprite Checkers supermarket group, which consists of 380 Shoprite supermarkets; 132 Checkers supermarkets; 24 Checkers Hypers; 148 Usave stores; 20 distribution centres supplying group stores with groceries, non-foods and perishable lines; 199 OK Furniture outlets; 14 OK Power Express stores; 46 House & Home stores; and 125 Hungry Lion fast food outlets. Through its OK Franchise Division, the Group procures and distributes stock to 26 OK MiniMark convenience stores; 24 OK Foods supermarkets; 75 OK Grocer stores; 43 Megasave wholesale stores; 26 OK Value stores and 81 Sentra stores and buying partners.

SHOPPER PROFILE

The Shoprite Group has a broad customer base which closely mirrors the demographic profile of the country and 55 million customers visit its stores per month. The various store formats within the Group cater for all income groups with the Checkers, Checkers Hyper and House & Home stores focussing on the higher income groups and Shoprite and OK Furniture focussing on the broad middle to lower market. The latest format introduced by the Group, Shoprite Usave, focuses on the lower-end of the market.

POSITIONING

The primary business of the Shoprite Group of Companies is food retailing to consumers of all income levels. Management's goal is to provide all communities in Africa with food and household items in a first-world shopping environment, at the lowest prices. At the same time the Group, inextricably linked to Africa, contributes to the nurturing of stable economies and the social upliftment of its people.

MARKET STANDING

Shoprite enjoys a reputation for offering best-value merchandise to consumers at the lowest prices, which they can trust ... always. Not only has this been substantiated by independent market research companies, but price surveys conducted by consumer groups and the media regularly confirm that the Group remains the price leader in its field.

Through the years supermarkets in the Shoprite stable have proved to be firm favourites with South African consumers. The 2007 All Media and Products Survey (AMPS) showed the highest patronage amongst shoppers with 54,4% of the South African adult population frequenting its stores and 43% of Shoprite's customers shopping exclusively at its supermarkets.

The Shoprite group employs 74 000 people and created 4096 jobs in 2008. The group not only employs people, but also trains them extensively in a great many skills to provide them with further career opportunities. This past financial year the Shoprite group invested R102 million in training which involved, inter alia, 98 916 training interventions. Apart from advanced courses for senior management, 1 325 trainee branch managers were in training in the last financial year while 3 125 of the 7 980 staff members employed outside South Africa also received training. In the last decade the group invested heavily in training skills and the creation of succession management teams staffed by well-qualified university graduates of whom 1306 are now employed in all areas of the business. This level of management is supported by employees from all walks of life, many of whom have been promoted and fully trained for more senior positions through our active programmes of improving the efficiency standards of our total workforce.