10 May 2021

The Shoprite Group’s own Corporate Communications team won four awards and received a certificate of excellence at the 2021 Africa SABRE Awards for work delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sabre Awards (an international Award in existence for 7 years, and the Sabre African Awards since 2017) recognise “superior achievement in branding, reputation and engagement” around the world are highly sought after awards in the public relations industry and the campaigns were evaluated by a jury of industry leaders. 

The awards received were:

• Winner: Corporate Image

The team was named the winner in the Corporate Image category for enhancing the Shoprite Group’s reputation through corporate communications, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating Africa’s largest retailer through a global pandemic was unchartered territory, which the Group successfully managed through regular and transparent communication with its key stakeholders, including customers and our employees.

(Certificates of excellence were awarded to BDO SA, Bryte Insurance, Kenya Airways, AfrAsia Bank)

• Winner: Crisis / issues management (how R5 turned into millions)

In April 2020 a customer complained on Facebook that R5 had been donated to the Act For Change Fund without his permission (a genuine error when the cashier accidentally pressed the button to donate). The team dealt with the customer complaint immediately, then went out to traditional media highlighting the purpose of the Fund. This incident raised awareness of the Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulted in a record-number of customer donations. 

(Certificates of excellence were awarded to Nairobi Women’s Hospital and the Kenyan Department of State Security Service)

• Winner: Employee Communications

The team was recognised as the winners in the Employee Communications category for prioritising internal communication and engagement during one of the most challenging periods globally. The Group kept its 140 000+ employees informed and involved, answered concerns, shared inspiring stories and more. 

(Certificates were awarded to Hollard and Old Mutual)

• Winner: marketing to consumer (new product – Sixty60)

A massive PR drive supported the roll-out of Sixty60, to keep both media and consumers excited and informed about this new on-demand grocery delivery service rolled out during theCOVID-19 pandemic.. 

(A certificate of excellence was awarded to Vodacom)

• Certificate of Excellence was awarded for our financial communication (Virtual Vouchers) 

The Shoprite Group launched its virtual voucher offering on 6 April, less than two weeks after the  national lockdown came into effect, relying only on the power of PR. Smart effective financial communication which resulted in the sale of more than R500 000 worth of virtual vouchers in the first week alone.

(Hollard Insurance won for their campaign launching the Hollard Chatinsure bot)