As the latest unemployment figures in South Africa scales new heights, the Shoprite Group continues to create and retain jobs, with a special focus on youth.
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The retailer, which is the largest private sector employer in South Africa, had 144 844 employees at the end of its 2021 financial year. Of these, 65% are under the age of 35 and 64% are women.
Despite the effects of the lockdown and the recent unrest on retail trade, which affected many of the Group’s businesses, it still managed to create 4 608 new jobs in South Africa, two thirds of which were taken up by young people below 35 years of age.
This included the creation of 2 870 new jobs at Checkers Sixty60, the Group’s on-demand delivery service which continues to grow rapidly, and 250 new jobs created by the ShopriteX innovation hub. Both of these illustrate the Group’s ability to create jobs alongside technology innovation.
The Shoprite Group prides itself on job creation and retention, as well as the provision of training to unemployed people to improve their chances of getting a job and ongoing support for suppliers to ensure their businesses are sustainable and that they have a route to market, helping to ensure they are also able to create jobs.
It continues to innovate to create new businesses and new job opportunities.
In June, the Shoprite Group announced that they have spent more than R700 million over the past five years on extensive retail skills and training programmes to enhance the career options of South Africa’s unskilled and unemployed youth.
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