In a move so brilliant it begs asking, “Why didn’t they think of it before?”, Pick n Pay and MTN have announced a new partnership to bring low-cost banking to SA’s unbanked. Our story really starts all the way back in the summer of 2012, a time when we were young and free, and the two launched the Mobile Money platform, allowing customers to transfer money securely, and buy goods in PnP and Boxer stores using nothing more than their cell phones – no cash or a debit card required. Apparently 2million customers have made use of Mobile Money since then, so that’s 2million souls who will be thrilled to hear that they can now get their very own VISA Mobile Money debit card to use at a host of other retail stores too. But wait, there’s more (just ‘cos they can)… By activating the new Pick n Pay SIM card (powered by MTN of course) and registering for Mobile Money, customers will be able to access their accounts easily, conveniently, securely and cheaply from their mobile phones, as well as get 10% extra airtime when they top up at Pick n Pay and Boxer stores.

Comment: And with 8 million unbanked South Africans out there to reign in, who’s stopping them now?

And just because we all need our weekly dose of dramatics, the plot thickens in the Lew vs Woolies saga, where the Dapper One has offered Country Road minority shareholders (including one Mr Solomon Lew) a whopping A$17 per share. To think that just seven months ago said shares were trading at $4.83 per. There is one teeny, tiny condition though… that the David Jones takeover is allowed to go through first. Whether Lew will accept the retailer’s offer remains a mystery and chances are we’ll have to wait a couple more weeks to find out when the David Jones shareholder vote takes place on 14 July.

Comment: And so we just hurry up and wait…

With a sad heart we realise that this year’s Mandela Day will be the first without the father of our nation among us. But as long as his legacy lives on, so too will great initiatives aimed at easing the plight of the less fortunate. Like the Food Parcel Project, a three-year partnership between the Department of Basic Education, Tiger Brands and the Nelson Mandela Foundation with the aim of feeding school learners who come to school hungry every day. This year, over 17,000 food parcels have already been handed out to primary school learners in Alexandra for Mandela Day, as part of a programme that has seen 12 million daily meals fed to beneficiaries each year. Since December 2012, over 46,000 food parcels have been distributed by Tiger Brands through the Holiday Food Parcel Project. “This project is part of our drive to tackle food insecurity in a sustainable and impactful manner,” said Alex Mathole, Tiger Brands’ Group Executive of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs.

Comment: Carry on we say, in the spirit of Madiba.

We hardly need reminding. Retail sales haven’t been all that lately, but since Ernst & Young and Bureau for Economic Research have been so kind as to slice, dice and dissect the sad state of affairs for us, we thought we’d share their findings with you. So retail sales growth remained weak in Q2 (*nod*) due to declining disposable income on the back of weak growth in jobs and rising inflation (*nod nod*). Surprisingly though, retail confidence went from 39 to 49 index points (*raises eyebrows*), indicating that many retailers are satisfied with business conditions. Household goods and furniture retailers were likely to experience more strain however (*sigh*), given how sensitive durable goods are to the availability of credit. According to the report, hardware, paint and glass retailers were left smiling thanks to an increase in DIY and clothing and footwear retailers also boasted sustained growth last year and in Q1 (*grins*). While sales in the slice that we call home, i.e. food, beverages and tobacco dropped over the past year.

Comment: So there you have it, in black and white and all official like.

If it’s a hankering for crispy chicken that you’re after while cruising through Kuils River or Paarl in the early hours of the morning, just stop by your local Freshstop for some… well… Crispy Chicken. The plan is to open five more of the unambiguously named, 5m2 outlets in the near future, and why not, since they have been able to generate 50% gross profit in the last four months. 

Local retailers and multi-national agribusinesses pledged their support in ensuring that small-scale farmers were also linked to the retail market, at the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association academic symposium held in Cape Town some 10 days back. “There is no reason why an African grower cannot achieve the same standards as others,” said Mark Titterington, of Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness that is so confident of its assertion that it is investing $500million (5.3billion in ronts) in Africa between 2012 and 2022.