Another week, another African country moaning about Shoprite like they’re the government or the rinderpest or something. This week it’s Namibia, where the Namibia Commercial, Catering Food and Allied Workers Union (NACCAFWU) is complaining about both Shoprite and the government, averring that the latter has opened the door to exploitation of workers by the former. Last year, you see, The Big Red One dismissed 130-odd workers involved in a wildcat strike at Rundu and Gobabis, while allowing 185 strikers in Windhoek to keep their positions (subject to a disciplinary hearing which has been postponed twice). Why the double standard? asks NACCAFWU.

Comment: As we’ve mentioned before, Shoprite seems to be something of a soft target and a lightning rod for organised labour and other interested parties in the Frontline states. Or perhaps a soft target on top of a lightning rod.

Rumours of the death of the spaza turned out greatly to have been exaggerated, not to split any infinitives here. And not just spazas, but the independent trade generally: the sector is worth an estimated R46billlion in sales, and sees 9million South Africans through its doors each year. It’s growing at 10% annually – 1% ahead of the corporates, and shopper loyalty among the growing middle class is increasing rather than declining. And that’s just numbers – by volume, independent outlets are outpacing formal retail, with a 7% increase – that’s 3% higher that the big guys. Where can I find me one of them stores? You may ask. Pretty much anywhere, as it turns out: There are 134,000 traditional trade stores out there, 81,587 of them in towns and 52,472 in rural areas. All of which makes it all the more urgent for you to dash over here and book your seats at the Ti Independent Trade Forum.

Comment: There are seriously just a handful left!

Pick n Pay’s hypermarket division – not exactly the jewel in the Big Blue crown – is pursuing the stokvel buck as one of the pillars of sustainable growth. For starters, they’ll be offering all stokvel members a 1% discount, to be paid in Smart Shopper points, which they’ll be able to redeem as cash paid for groceries, so a sort of two birds, one stone approach there. The National Stokvel Association of South Africa is on board with the scheme, with CEO Andile Mazwai comparing the hypermarket’s reach (20 stores) favourably with that of Makro (19). His words, not ours: “With Pick n Pay, we are doing it on a much bigger scale […] so there is going to be a big drive towards pushing the Pick n Pay brand and pushing the Pick n Pay offering”. Mazwai believes the stokvel market is worth an annual R50billion.

Comment: Stokvels have always been a force in the independent sector. It’s interesting to see the corporate retailers awakening to their potential at last.

AVI are dropping hints about the old interims, due out on 7 March, and it’s all sounding fairly promising, with headline earnings per share (HEPS) expected to rise 10 to 12%. AVI, as well you know, bring such venerable brands to market as Five Roses tea, House of Coffees, Bakers Biscuits and I&J. This number is commensurate with AVI’s performance in the first half of the past couple of years, and suggests the business remains robust in the face of declining consumer fortunes. This is partially due to its cunning rand hedging strategy – the business buys foreign currency derivatives to manage potential foreign exchange losses. Exports from I&J also help to shield the performance of the business against a weakening rand.

Comment: The diversity of the AVI business has also protected AVI against grain-heavy competitors Pioneer and Tiger Brands.

Last week, we reported on the fine work Shoprite was doing bringing water to the people of QwaQwa during the current drought. The Big Red One is not the only outfit in our industry rushing to the assistance of stricken communities. IMPERIAL Logistics, for example, has transported some 350,000 litres of water to Senekal, Olifantshoek and Verkeerdevlei, and three loads of animal feed to farms around Bloemfontein and Ficksburg. IMPERIAL is working with Water Shortage South Africa, and has also pledged 15 vehicles to bring further assistance to affected areas in the North West. And taking an innovative tack, McCain are shipping all of its edible waste to cattle farmers, particularly in the Free State, working with SA Zero Waste and Farmers in Need.

Comment: With all the rancour in our politics lately, it is good to remember – in unfortunate times – that we are a nation that steps up when our people and communities are in need.

South Africa’s trade surplus increased to levels not seen since the heady days of 2011 from R0.7bn in November  to R8.2bn for the month of December, causing the rand to sink back to an astonishing R15.99 something to the dollar. On the downside, the deficit on the current account, our most reliable measure of trade in goods and services, rose to 4.1% of GDP in the three months to September, and may widen further as food imports increase because of the drought. Also helping the rand was last week’s decision by the Reserve Bank to hike the interest rate by 50 basis points in an attempt to rein in the inflation caused, inter alia, by the self-same weakness in the rand.

Comment: You couldn’t make this stuff up. That’s what economists are for.

Woolworths (and indeed David Jones of Australia) are rolling out a new private label fashion brand, which rejoices under the  fashion-forward name of David Jones … wait, that can’t be right --- it is? … good heavens … David Jones Classic Collection. Timeless pieces with a hint of seasonal fashion on a bed of wardrobe basics, we are told.

The 2016 Deloitte Global Powers of Retail survey is out – we love that superhero name by the way – and there’s not a single South African firm in the top 100, although Steinhoff came in at 101st, with $10.2billion in sales, and Shoprite 105th with $9.9 billion.