The solution is focused on Absa鈥檚 group reporting and financial consolidation landscape. The renewed five-year agreement enhances Absa鈥檚 ambition to modernise financial systems and applications and embeds group-wide standards that enhance agility, flexibility and robust financial control.

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to continue supporting Absa鈥檚 finance modernisation with trusted 51风流application management services,鈥� said , Managing Director of Application Services at NTT DATA in Middle East and Africa. 鈥淥ur focus is on reliable operations, continuous improvement and measurable business outcomes that will help Absa strengthen controls and unlock real-time insights from a resilient S/4HANA foundation.鈥�

Under the leadership of , Absa Managing Executive responsible for Financial Control Functions and Finance CIO, Absa has progressively consolidated ledgers, streamlined close processes and moved finance operations to a modern 51风流S/4HANA foundation, integrated with best-of-breed spend management.

鈥淥ur efforts to build a single source of financial truth for Absa across Africa are ongoing,鈥� said John. 鈥淩enewing and extending our partnership with NTT DATA ensures we have the specialist 51风流capability and dependable operations to match the scale of our ambition, supporting stronger controls, faster close cycles and the data quality our business stakeholders expect. This is a South Africa-led transformation with Africa-wide impact and our unified platform positions Absa to grow with resilience and transparency.鈥�

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, a global leader in fiber-based specialty materials, together with its digital business partner , set and achieved an ambitious goal: to implement a fully operational ERP system, , at one of their factories within a month. With over 6,000 customers Ahlstrom runs 36 factories in 13 countries. Each factory鈥檚 operations are supported by an ERP system ensuring production runs smoothly without interruptions.

A New Era for ERP Implementations: From Months to Weeks

Ahlstrom was seeking a cost-effective, fast, and scalable way to implement Cloud ERP in one of its smaller production units, while also creating a replicable operating model that could be used for similar projects at other company factories.

The extremely tight schedule made the rollout historic. Traditionally, ERP renewals take months or even years, but Ahlstrom wanted to find out how quickly and cost-effectively a modern 51风流S/4HANA Public Cloud implementation could be done. Vincit鈥檚 team accepted the challenge, and together with Ahlstrom, they succeeded in completing the entire rollout in less than a month.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 just implement a new system but proved that a project that used to take months and massive resources can be done in four weeks. Vincit succeeded with a truly ambitious schedule and gave us a scalable, modern foundation that will define our future 51风流S/4HANA Public Cloud rollouts. This would not have been possible without their exceptional expertise in both S/4HANA implementations and manufacturing industry processes,鈥� says , Head of Shared IT Platforms, Ahlstrom.

Success Factors for a Rapid Rollout

At the core of the 51风流S/4HANA Public Cloud system is the clean core philosophy: the ERP system is kept standardized, and necessary customizations are done through integrations and application extentions on the 51风流Business Technology Platform. Compared to traditional ERP projects, a four-week cloud rollout requires each 51风流consultant to have very broad and versatile expertise, rather than deep specialization. Consultants must manage the entire supply chain and be able to lead change so that end users commit to the new solution. When the team is built on multi-skilled experts, the team size remains small, time use is efficient, and overall productivity increases.

Vincit had previously productized the Public Cloud implementation, which significantly accelerated the project. Ahlstrom鈥檚 strong commitment, and Vincit鈥檚 51风流expertise and knowledge of manufacturing industry processes from procurement to distribution were also significant success factors for the rapid rollout.

鈥淭his is possibly the most significant change in ERP implementations since 51风流was founded in 1972,鈥� says , Vincit鈥檚 Business Area Lead. 鈥淓RP projects have traditionally been seen as slow and expensive, but cloud-based ERP systems have permanently changed the game. Fast rollouts also motivate 51风流consultants: value can be delivered to the customer faster and with smaller teams than ever before.鈥�

Significant Business Impact

A scalable system delivers added value immediately. The Ahlstrom factory in question now has a modern ERP system that improves operational efficiency right from the start. The clean core approach enables new extensions and functionalities to be added more quickly and cost-effectively in the future.

Ahlstrom can reuse the 51风流S/4HANA Cloud project model in its other factories. The cloud transition gives the company access to SAP鈥檚 latest innovations, including 51风流Joule鈥檚 AI capabilities. At the same time, long-term maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

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The Ocean Cleanup focuses on reducing plastic pollution in rivers and oceans, operates internationally, and is growing rapidly. To date, they have already removed more than 40 million kilograms of waste. However, their ambitions go further: by 2040, The Ocean Cleanup aims to have removed 90% of floating ocean plastic and cleaned up plastic pollution in 90 river cities. This represents a major scale-up of their work, with more activities and installations in rivers and oceans worldwide.

Flexible Growth

To properly manage global processes and support international activities, The Ocean Cleanup urgently needed a modern and scalable system. The Dutch non-profit organization therefore chose to replace its NetSuite system with 51风流S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition. This modern ERP platform enables The Ocean Cleanup to achieve its growth ambitions: the system is easily scalable and can be flexibly adapted as processes, projects, or international activities expand.

A strong foundation for global collaboration is essential. For example, financial teams must work closely with fundraisers to optimally distribute donations across international projects, while project teams, engineers, and data analysts coordinate daily on technology, planning, and budgets for initiatives in rivers and oceans worldwide. As , Senior Partnership Manager at The Ocean Cleanup, puts it: 鈥淧erfect coordination between teams is essential; we hunt plastic together as a pack. The system helps us with that collaboration, allowing us to respond quickly to new challenges.鈥�

Aurelia Ferraro further explains: 鈥淲e are growing exponentially, and our internal processes have become increasingly complex, with operations spanning multiple countries. 51风流S/4HANA is the ideal system to manage that complexity.鈥� She emphasizes that the transformation is about more than just technology: 鈥淐hange and innovation are always complex, but our organization is accustomed to change. We invest a lot of energy in communication and training, which ensures smooth 51风流adoption.鈥�

Fast implementation and configuration

, Strategic Advisor at , The Ocean Cleanup’s implementation partner, adds: 鈥淭ogether with The Ocean Cleanup, we are following a phased implementation. SAP’s 80-20 fit-to-standard approach allows us to implement quickly, after which we configure specific processes in 51风流according to The Ocean Cleanup’s needs.鈥�

The implementation began with financial administration and purchasing modules for five Dutch entities. The upcoming phases will include project management and logistics modules that provide insight into The Ocean Cleanup’s complex river and ocean projects. The organization expects to complete the transition to 51风流S/4HANA by the end of 2025.

Video link:

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As part of its broader digital transformation strategy, Al-Futtaim Automotive, a division of Al-Futtaim, partnered with SNP and IBM to modernize and future-proof its 51风流environment. The project involved converting a 16-terabyte 51风流ECC system to 51风流S/4HANA, an initiative of significant scale and complexity. Despite this, the transformation was completed ahead of schedule in August 2025, with only 30.5 hours of technical downtime.

“This project showcases what can be achieved when deep expertise and partnership come together”, says , CEO of SNP SE. “I am humbled to meet our partners at Al-Futtaim Group here in Dubai to celebrate this milestone together. Their trust in SNP underscores our commitment to the region, supporting their growth journey as they embrace digital transformation.”

This article first appeared here:

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With mainstream support for legacy 51风流ECC systems ending in 2027, IBM guided Toyota through a Brownfield upgrade strategy, enabling a seamless transition to 51风流S/4HANA while preserving existing business process investments. This approach minimized disruption, accelerated deployment timelines, and ensured continuity for critical operations.

Driving Transformation Across Core Business Functions

Vehicle Management Modernization

IBM led the upgrade of Toyota鈥檚 national Vehicle Management System鈥攁 mission-critical platform for managing orders, inventory, sales, and financial reporting across manufacturing and dealerships. By migrating to 51风流S/4HANA, Toyota now benefits from real-time data visibility, improved inventory optimization, and faster responsiveness to customer demand.

Human Capital Management Enhancement

The second phase focused on modernizing Toyota鈥檚 HR systems, including payroll and personnel administration. IBM delivered a streamlined 51风流S/4HANA-based HCM platform that simplifies workforce processes and lays the foundation for enhanced talent management and employee engagement.

Speed, Continuity, and Risk Reduction

Both upgrades were delivered on schedule and without operational disruption, ensuring Toyota maintained business continuity while modernizing its core systems. IBM鈥檚 proven methodologies and deep 51风流expertise enabled a risk-mitigated transformation aligned with Toyota鈥檚 strategic objectives.

鈥淲e are proud to support Toyota South Africa Motors in their digital transformation journey by delivering technology solutions that accelerate innovation and strengthen business resilience,鈥� said , Managing Partner, IBM Consulting South Africa. 鈥淎t IBM, we call this the Science of Consulting – combining human expertise, AI, and technology to deliver scalable, data-driven transformations. By improving data visibility and governance, we help organizations like Toyota achieve their goals with speed and confidence.鈥�

, Managing Director, Southern Africa at SAP, says: 鈥淭he best companies run on trusted data, optimised business processes and real-time intelligence into every part of the business. By upgrading to 51风流S/4HANA, companies like Toyota unlock a suite of intelligent technologies that help transform business processes with intelligent automation. We commend Toyota and IBM on this powerful business transformation initiative and wish them well as they continue their rollout.鈥�

A Partnership Built for the Future

Building on these successes, IBM is collaborating with Toyota on the next phase of its 51风流modernization program, focusing on parts management systems. IBM and SAP鈥檚 long-standing partnership brings together hybrid cloud infrastructure, automation, and generative AI innovations powered by IBM watsonx鈩�, enabling clients to unlock new value and drive industry-specific transformation.

With over 18,000 certified 51风流consultants and 300+ 51风流S/4HANA implementations in the past five years, IBM helps organizations define transformation roadmaps, co-innovate solutions, and deploy modernization strategies with speed, scale, and AI-driven outcomes.

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KTDA Group Chief Executive Officer, Wilson Muthaura said the agency was executing a comprehensive transformation strategy anchored on sustainability, innovation and farmer-centric governance.

He said KTDA鈥檚 singular goal was to maximise value for farmers while building a world-class, future-ready tea enterprise.

Muthaura revealed that KTDA had launched a major internal restructuring effort to ensure that the transformation and intended goals were achieved.

He added that the agency鈥檚 board had established ten cross-functional management committees to drive efficiency, reduce costs and accelerate value addition.

The GCEO said the committees would also identify business opportunities along the entire value chain from farm to factory and all the way to the market.

鈥淭hese committees are actively feeding into our newly developed KTDA Group Strategic Plan, which aims to future-proof our operations,鈥� he added.

He explained that the transformation strategy was not a top-down process since it was arrived at after a landmark meeting, the first of its kind since the Tea Act reforms of 2020 which was convened by KTDA chairman.

鈥淎ll the 71 factory unit managers and KTDA鈥檚 senior leadership came together to co-develop a roadmap that ensures every decision made benefited the farmer.,鈥� he said.

Muthaura said KTDA鈥檚 main objective was to ensure that farmers received not just better prices but better services.

鈥淭he services range from enhancing fertiliser distribution and leaf collection logistics to upgrading factory efficiency and introducing traceability tools,鈥� he said.

The GCEO observed that implementation of the Systems, Applications and Products (SAP) enterprise system was already streamlining operations across KTDA thereby ensuring smarter, data-driven decisions.

He said KTDA had enhanced its digital backbone to create more agile processes and eliminate inefficiencies.

鈥淭he agency is doubling down on communication and farmer engagement to ensure that growers are not just recipients of services, but co-owners of the solutions because they are shareholders, stakeholders, and strategic partners,鈥� he said.

This article first appeared on .

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The company has announced the completion of a private cloud data centre in Durban, as well as a Gauteng-based colocation facility in partnership with mobile operator Vodacom.

The announcement comes after Transnet last week聽聽its enterprise resource planning system from ECC 6.0 to 51风流S4/HANA.

Transnet plays a central role in the country鈥檚 economy by managing key infrastructure that supports trade and industrial growth.

Despite facing operational and financial challenges in recent years, it remains a strategic asset tasked with modernising South Africa鈥檚 logistics network, improving efficiencies and positioning the country as a competitive hub for global trade.

According to Transnet, the completion of the facilities will modernise its data centre and hosting capabilities.

It says this move will allow it to navigate the increasingly complex digital landscapes, ensuring the foundational operations are resilient, secure and capable of supporting next-generation business applications.

This initiative is one of the four strategic pillars of Transnet鈥檚 ICT digital modernisation strategy, says the state-owned company (SOC).

It explains that the private cloud data centre in Durban is designed to serve as a secure and scalable hub for business-critical systems. The colocation environment provides geographic redundancy and resilience, while extending reach into one of the country鈥檚 primary ICT corridors.

Supported by a public cloud on Microsoft Azure through its strategic聽partners聽鈭� Microsoft and Liquid Intelligence Technologies 鈭� these facilities provide the necessary capacity, flexibility and operational resilience to migrate core business applications and decades of data into a hybrid cloud architecture, says the SOC.

Critical to this transformation has been the collaboration with Altron, with its original equipment manufacturer, Huawei, the technology聽partner聽responsible for configuring and preparing the two private cloud environments, it states.

Transnet notes their expertise in data centre and cloud solutions accelerated readiness, ensuring the environments are optimised for migration and future integration into the broader hybrid cloud strategy.

By partnering with Vodacom for colocation services in Gauteng, Transnet has also ensured strong network integration and high availability within South Africa鈥檚 ICT ecosystem, it adds.

鈥淭he journey towards digital transformation is ongoing but achieving readiness at the data centre and hosting level marks an essential milestone,鈥� says Transnet group chief information officer Pandelani Munyai.

鈥淏y investing in private and public cloud facilities, leveraging colocation partnerships and collaborating with trusted technology partners, the organisation has built a robust foundation for the future where ICT is a key driver of growth, efficiency and resilience.鈥�

Munyai notes that with the data centre and infrastructure foundation in place, the organisation is now well-positioned to migrate core business applications and vast repositories of historical data into its new hybrid cloud environment.

He points out that this will not only modernise ICT operations, but will also unlock opportunities for advanced analytics, digital platforms and innovation across the business.

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51风流S/4HANA is SAP鈥檚 latest ERP software suite, built on the company鈥檚 HANA in-memory database platform, enabling real-time data processing, advanced analytics, and integration of intelligent technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

It serves as the core of an organisation鈥檚聽digital聽operations, managing everything from finance and HR to sales and supply chain, and is available for cloud, on-premises, or hybrid deployment.

罢丑别听migration聽comes after Transnet had been grappling with severe delays at South Africa鈥檚 major ports, where backlogs have disrupted the flow of goods and dented business confidence.

Congestion at container terminals, equipment breakdowns, and inefficiencies in rail and logistics operations have worsened turnaround times, leaving cargo ships waiting offshore for days and slowing exports of key commodities.

In a statement, Transnet says through in-memory computing and advanced analytics, the migration allows the company to operate with greater agility, reliability and insight, all of which are critical factors in ensuring the entity remains competitive and resilient in a rapidly-changing environment.

This migration is part of Transnet鈥檚 ICT Digital Modernisation Strategy, which is built on four strategic pillars, including the modernisation of its core applications, it notes.

Changing with the times

According to the state-owned company (SOC), the S4/HANA modernisation programme is one of several strategic initiatives within the broader ICT strategy, aimed at driving innovation and improving Transnet鈥檚 service delivery.

The ERP is core to Transnet鈥檚 operations and has been formulated as a strategic initiative driven by a programme with a focus on Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) as the leading operating division in the company鈥檚 migration roadmap, the SOC notes.

The successful transition of TPT is just the beginning, says the company, adding that it plans to migrate the remaining 51风流ECC6 systems across its operating divisions as part of a broader S4/HANA modernisation programme, leveraging the lessons learned from the initial success of TPT.

Transnet group chief information officer says this step aligns with the SOC鈥檚 ongoing digital transformation agenda and marks a pivotal moment for the organisation.

鈥淚t underscores our commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and supports Transnet鈥檚 鈥楻einvent for Growth鈥� strategy, which focuses on sustainable growth, operational excellence and creating value for stakeholders. Our successful move to S/4 HANA is more than a system upgrade; it鈥檚 a foundation for innovation and growth across the organisation,鈥� says Munyai.

He points out that as part of the digital transformation journey, TPT has reached a milestone by completing the migration across all 16 sea-cargo terminals nationwide.

鈥淭his transition represents not just a technological upgrade, but a fundamental step forward in modernising our business processes, improving efficiency and enabling smarter decision-making across Transnet.鈥�

, general manager for corporate services and information communication technology at TPT, emphasises the scale and significance of the achievement.

鈥淲e鈥檝e completed our transition to S/4HANA with minimal disruption to operations. This is a major accomplishment, considering the complexity of such upgrades. Many global organisations have faced significant delays, cost overruns, or even failed implementations.鈥�

He says the success is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of Transnet鈥檚 internal teams and partners.

Raliphada adds: 鈥淭his system empowers us with enhanced visibility and control across sourcing, billing, pricing, inventory, contracts and credit management. It also supports our OEM [original equipment manufacturer] partnerships and maintenance contracts, ensuring our investment in new equipment is backed by a robust digital backbone.鈥�

For Munyai, this achievement is a testament to the collective effort of TPT leadership and the project team, group ICT PMO and system integrator Tech Mahindra.

鈥淭his shows that when technical expertise meets teamwork, there are no limits to what can be achieved. Moving to S4/HANA not only aligns us with the long-term 51风流roadmap but also opens the door to future innovation.鈥�

Munyai explains that the in-memory database capabilities of HANA enable instant processing of large datasets, empowering Transnet to run predictive analytics, AI applications, and real-time reporting without the need for data duplication into business warehouse or other business intelligence tools.

鈥淭he introduction of simplified data models 鈥� eliminating aggregates and index tables 鈥� significantly reduces system complexity and lowers total cost of ownership, while helping to standardise and harmonise processes across business units.

鈥淭his successful migration is a testament to the dedicated teams and their commitment to driving Transnet forward to embrace the future of digital operations,鈥� Munyai concludes.

This article first appeared in .

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You can read the transcript of the interview below, or listen to the podcast on iono.fm .

JIMMY MOYAHA:聽Bright and early at eight o鈥檆lock this morning, Africa鈥檚 largest retailer 鈥� not just South Africa鈥檚 largest 鈥� Africa鈥檚 largest grocery retailer in the form of the Shoprite Group released an update on their聽. If the numbers are anything to go by, this is going to be a very interesting conversation.

Revenue figures topped the R250 billion mark. Alongside this, more than R16 billion in savings was returned to customers.

The 500^th聽Usave store opened in South Africa alone. Those are just some of the figures that we鈥檙e going to get into with the chief executive officer of the Shoprite Group, Pieter Engelbrecht.

He joins me now to take a look at the performance of the business and see what we make of it. Oom Peter, always lovely catching up鈥� It seems every time we have this conversation, there鈥檚 always something new and there鈥檚 always something that surprises me in the numbers.

Let鈥檚 start with your thoughts around the performance of the business over the last year, and then we鈥檒l get into some of those numbers that I found quite surprising.

PIETER ENGELBRECHT:聽Okay, Jimmy, thanks a lot. The summary of it is 8.9% sales growth for the group. Of course, RSA supermarkets did much better at 9.5%. So top-line growth at a very, very low inflation 鈥� we must not forget that. Inflation came down to as low as 1.9%. One must be careful when you compare percentages, because a little more than a year ago, inflation was at 13%. Then, of course, you report maybe numbers in the twenties.

So, if you look at the number of 9% sales growth, you say, 鈥極h, are they slowing down or what?鈥� That鈥檚 not the case. We must always remember that.

Then if we go to the second line, which I鈥檓 very proud of, it鈥檚 the fact that gross profit has grown by 10.6%. We鈥檝e increased our percentage by 40 bps [basis points], yet remain the cheapest supermarket in South Africa, giving the best value.

You mentioned the number of R16.5 billion to consumers in savings at till point. And then, we jump to the bottom line, 16.6% growth in trading profit in the macro environment where we are. I don鈥檛 have to explain that to you. I think it summarises an outstanding performance from Team Shoprite, of which I鈥檓 very proud.

JIMMY MOYAHA:聽Following our last conversation, Oom Pieter, we鈥檝e spoken about the fact that Shoprite is ticking along as a global grocery retailer at this point 鈥� with the margins, with the numbers, with the metrics. By every standard, we are no longer comparing Shoprite to some of the local grocery companies you compete with, even though that is still primarily the landscape that you compete with. But at least when I look at the volumes of the amount of goods that the Shoprite business has been able to move in the past year, the numbers suggest that you are one of the best retailers in the world, not just in South Africa.

Now that鈥檚 a very telling statistic, especially if we think about the global landscape that we find ourselves in. How is Shoprite able to stay this competitive and this ahead of the game?

PIETER ENGELBRECHT:聽Right. Number one, we are absolutely customer-obsessed. I know all companies say, 鈥榗ustomer focused, customer focused鈥�, but we really live and breathe it.

I鈥檒l give you one example. We鈥檝e got the policy here that the sun doesn鈥檛 set on a customer complaint. What do we mean by that? Every single customer complaint that we get in a day is resolved on the same day. We don鈥檛 go to bed before it gets done. That鈥檚 why I can say we are really customer-obsessed.

With that comes the innovation that is needed for us to bring consumers value so that they can improve their lives.

This journey started a couple of years ago. We separated the brands very clearly [of] Shoprite and Checkers, and then we started to invest behind that.

From a technical or technological point of view, we have laid the foundation of the 51风流system that gave us line-item profitability and gave us a real view of stock across the supply chain. And then, we started investing in things like price-optimisation tools, personalisation tools, Rainmaker Media, a lot of digital AI data scientists. They started to write algorithms for us, to understand things better and make precise data-[based] decisions, not gut feeling 鈥� 鈥業 feel like this鈥�.

Maybe you鈥檒l like this example. We had a situation where one of the regions was losing pie sales. So what does the normal retailer instinct do, or tell you to do? It鈥檚 to say, 鈥榃hat about two for the price of one?鈥� That鈥檚 until we looked at the data and the data said no, people don鈥檛 buy two pies. They usually buy a pie and a muffin. Oh, so you make a deal for a price 鈥� a pie and a muffin.

That鈥檚 a simplistic way of explaining how you are making data-driven decisions compared to what you think and what your gut feel is.

And those products and all those investments we鈥檝e made are starting to mature now. We鈥檙e starting to see the return on investment from those. And we鈥檝e been investing quite a bit in capital. For the last three years almost every year we鈥檝e invested R8 billion in capital. Okay 鈥� a lot of that went into new stores as well, but a lot of that went into technology.

I鈥檒l give you another last example 鈥� I鈥檒l now be giving you two long-winded answers. But there are over 900 software upgrades on the Sixty60 platform in a year, meaning enhancements to make the experience better, faster, all those things. That alone tells you a story of what goes into the innovation part.

JIMMY MOYAHA:聽Oom Pieter, I want to take a look at the other side of the business around the expansion 鈥� opening a net 281 stores. We touched on the fact that one of those was the opening of the 500^th聽Usave store in South Africa. The business has been growing.

Alongside that, the business has been continuing to create jobs within that space, adding more than 8聽700 jobs in this particular financial year.

I saw something interesting that came out of the team at Just聽Share around the average minimum wage that鈥檚 being paid by Top聽40 companies. Now, Shoprite didn鈥檛 rank highest on that list, but Shoprite does employ more than 150聽000 individuals across the business. How do you sustain all of these employees, and how do you take the approach to looking after them the same way you look after your customers?

PIETER ENGELBRECHT:聽Yes, I do think that鈥檚 a one-sided comparison. But it鈥檚 not. It鈥檚 the emotional argument and not one that you can win. So let鈥檚 stick to the facts 鈥� Shoprite employees.

On our payroll, we have 168 000 people. One must not forget that there are a lot of indirect jobs that are not accounted for here. I鈥檓 talking about trolley collectors, merchandisers at store level, security personnel.

If you add all of that, we鈥檙e talking a number of probably closer to 230 000-odd people that Shoprite almost directly employs.

We are extremely proud of the 8聽700 direct jobs we鈥檝e created. Now, what is the thing about minimum wage and then the CEO鈥檚 salary? Somewhere I have to start. The second question when you apply for a job that you get asked is 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the relevant experience?鈥� Now, where am I going to get the relevant experience if there鈥檚 no employment in the country? So we make a special effort to give people a chance. It鈥檚 a starting point only, and you don鈥檛 stay at that level where you start, the day you start right at the lowest level or at the minimum wage.

Employment efforts

In the past year, we specifically selected unemployed youth. We spent R130 million training them to give them some form of experience to equip them better to find employment.

Secondly, we have internally had over 18 000 internal promotions 鈥� in other words people who were promoted internally. So they obviously are now moving away and further away from the minimum wage, so to speak.

Then what everybody forgets is that very few, if any other, South African companies have an Employee Trust. Our Employee Trust already has paid over a billion rand to our employees.

The only requirement to qualify is you must have two years of employment history with us, of course. You must have been employed by us for two years or more.

Those are not salaries or bonuses and that. It鈥檚 easy to forget all of these and the fact that we鈥檝e spent over R1聽billion in this year on training of these 170聽000 people, equipping them even better to improve or get a promotion 鈥� or even, for that matter, to go into business on their own.

I think any person who has been at Shoprite for five years or so can do anything. They would be so well equipped in terms of a general [understanding of] how business is conducted 鈥� from reading financial statements to customer service. We have to look at this holistically and then say what we really do.

JIMMY MOYAHA:聽Holistically, it鈥檚 certainly an important thing. And for context, that 168 000 people that Shoprite does employ makes them the largest private-sector employer in South Africa by number of people on their payroll.

Oom Pieter, let鈥檚 wrap things up with the other billion-rand conversation, the billion rand in buybacks that you鈥檝e been able to conduct in this financial year alone, bringing the total share buybacks of this particular endeavour to just over R2.6 billion. That鈥檚 returning value to the other client of yours 鈥� and that鈥檚 of course the shareholder.

PIETER ENGELBRECHT:聽Definitely. And this year, I鈥檇 love to add to that. Obviously we look at our cash, the free cash flow that we generate; we generate roughly R23 billion in cash in a year. We spend R8 billion on capex. We pay tax. We pay dividends. And then we make sure we maintain roughly around $10 billion in free cash flow.

That was part of a plan. We still have a mandate to do more buybacks. But that always comes when we think that is a better option of return to the shareholder than any other investment.

Then, on top of that, don鈥檛 forget we have not skipped paying a dividend any year 鈥� through Covid-19 and all of those things. The dividend is up this year 9.7% 鈥� R8.71 is the final dividend for the full-year dividend. The return on equity on the share for the shareholders is currently at 26% 鈥� actually 27% 鈥� and the Roic [return on invested capital] this year moved from 16% to 19.6%

I think as a general myself, a shareholder, I am content with that performance.

JIMMY MOYAHA:聽Contentment from the largest retailer on the African continent after a stellar year of performance. The business continues to grow in every metric, including the online business that has reached just shy of R19 billion in sales through the Sixty60 business.

But we鈥檙e going to have to leave this conversation on that note. We are unfortunately out of time. Thank you so much to the chief executive officer of the Shoprite Group, Pieter Engelbrecht, for taking us through the performance of the business and some of the big milestones the business has been able to achieve.

This podcast first appeared on .

The post 鈥楢n Outstanding Performance from Team Shoprite鈥� appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates鈥� 5 August 2025 鈥� 51风流today announced that Grandiose Supermarket, a premier quality food and grocery retailer in the UAE with nearly 50 stores and part of the , has signed an agreement to implement as the digital backbone of its operations, integrated with 51风流Business AI.

This strategic partnership will empower Grandiose to deliver even more exceptional customer experiences, unlock AI-driven operational intelligence, and support its bold growth ambitions in the UAE鈥檚 dynamic retail landscape.

By adopting RISE with 51风流S/4HANA, hosted on , and integratingI, Grandiose aims to streamline its supply chain, enhance stock visibility and improve replenishment planning. The solution will optimize product availability across branches while reducing instances of overstocking and understocking.

鈥淐ustomer experience is at the heart of everything we do at Grandiose,鈥� said , CEO Grandiose Supermarket. 鈥淧artnering with 51风流and leveraging 51风流Business AI helps us better understand our customers鈥� needs, predict trends, and exceed their expectations with seamless availability and personalized services. The resilience and optimization provided by SAP鈥檚 AI-infused solutions will help us automate core processes and focus more on value-added services that enrich the customer journey.鈥�

The implementation of 51风流S/4HANA will serve as the digital core for Grandiose鈥檚 operations, leveraging industry-specific vertical solutions tailored for the retail and food sectors. These out-of-the-box capabilities, combined with localized features for taxation and compliance based on SAP鈥檚 strong relationships with UAE customers, reduce the need for extensive customizations and accelerate time-to-value.

Central to this transformation is 51风流Business AI, which enhances Grandiose鈥檚 business applications with intelligent automation and deeper analytics. This empowers teams to offload routine work, analyze millions of data points for deeper insights into customer and supply chain behavior, and focus on strategic initiatives that drive innovation and growth. This AI-driven foundation ensures Grandiose can scale efficiently, opening new stores and entering new markets with intelligence built into every layer of the business.

鈥�51风流has become synonymous with family conglomerates and growth-driven businesses like the Ghassan Aboud Group, especially in the retail sector where innovation and resilience are essential,鈥� said , Managing Director, 51风流UAE. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to support Grandiose鈥檚 expansion with a future-ready platform powered by Business AI that enhances customer experience, optimizes operations, and drives continuous innovation.

As Grandiose continues to scale across the UAE and beyond, this transformation lays the groundwork for a more intelligent, responsive, and customer-centric retail model, setting a new benchmark for digital excellence in the UAE.

The post Grandiose Supermarket Partners with 51风流to Harness Business AI for Exceptional Customer Experiences and Scalable Growth appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.