Shoprite Holdings | Sustainability

Sustainability

We aim to be Africa’s most affordable and accessible retailer - and doing this in a responsible way for our communities and the environment. This provides us with a social licence to operate and it makes business sense.

Our Commitment

As the largest retailer on the African continent, we recognise that we can play a transformative role in the 15 countries in which we operate. We are making our operations more sustainable and building resilience to climate change, while we continue to invest in our people and in our communities.

Our Approach

Our sustainability approach builds on our purpose and our values. We understand that the success of our business depends on the ability of our customers to buy our products, of our suppliers to produce them – even in an uncertain climate – and our ability to safely transport, store and sell them.

Our People

We invest in our people to reach their highest potential.

Our Customers

We provide accessible, affordable and safe products to our customers.

Our Communities

We #ActForChange in our communities.

Our Suppliers

Together we grow local economies and create jobs.

Our Planet

We promote sustainable consumption and production patterns for our planet.

Trained 141 452 people

Invested R491 miilion and 3.5 million training hours

Saved 34.2 million kWh through use of energy- efficient lighting, equaling 35 430 tCO2e

Grew the number of food gardens supported to 119 and trained 571 community members

Served more than 34 million meals to communities in need

* For the year ended 28 June 2020

Sanjeev Raghubir, Shoprite’s Group Sustainability Manager, in conversation with Refilwe Moloto on Cape Talk

Since the start of the national lockdown, the Shoprite Group has donated more than R53 million in surplus food - over R300 000 per day for the past 185 days - to various organisations tasked with feeding the hungry.

LISTEN HERE

Community organisation’s long-term partnership with retailer bears much fruit

Lydia Hlophe's, founder of the Yenzanathi Community Development Project in Kwanyuswa in KwaZulu-Natal, partnership with the Group started in 2016 with an 18-month investment in the food garden that continues to supply fresh vegetables to the soup kitchen run by Hlophe.

Tackling packaging waste

We’re hard at work to ensure that 100% of our plastic packaging is reusable and/or recyclable by 2025. We are already using 4 000 tons of plastic returned annually to our distribution centres to produce our 100% recycled and recyclable plastic shopping bags.

Pensioner’s garden provides for 120 families

When Susan Davies retired 16 years ago she wanted to help disadvantaged people in the area, so she established the Catch Community Centre in Gonubie, Eastern Cape. With Checkers’ help, she is reinvigorating the food garden that provides fresh vegetables for 120 families.

Communities are central to Shoprite’s strategy to give back

We take hands with various community partners in long-term projects to #ActForChange in our communities.

SEE HOW

Preschools get boost from Shoprite

Support for preschools includes education and governance training, meals for the children and critical structural upgrades. Recently 15 preschools in and around Kathu in the Northern Cape benefited from an extensive teacher training programme.

Entrepreneur and Shoprite supplier now employs 35 people

From baking a few cakes and employing just over five people, Shanaaz Essa’s business Exquisite Cakes started supplying Shoprite and can now employ over 30 people.

Rooftop solar PV powers shopping centre

The Gordon's Bay Mall is the seventh solar PV plant installed by the Shoprite Group. Together these plants already reduced the Group’s carbon emissions by 7350 tCO2e.

Sanjeev Raghubir, Shoprite’s Group Sustainability Manager, in conversation with Refilwe Moloto on Cape Talk

LISTEN HERE