Massive congrats and indeed kudos to Mr. Graham O’Connor, CEO of SPAR South Africa and now also President of SPAR International, which as you are aware is the world’s largest voluntary retail chain, with sales of €33bn in 2015. Mr. O’C takes over from Leo Crawford, Chairman of SPAR Ireland, who has held the top job since 2005. Under his leadership, the Group underwent an impressive growth spurt, winding up at 12,100 stores in 42 countries. He is confident that under his successor, more of the same will ensue.

Comment: The appointment is testament not only to formidable abilities of Mr. O’Connor, but also to the radiance of the South African operation in SPAR’s international firmament. With successful acquisitions in Switzerland and the UK, and growing market share under tough conditions back home, SPAR South Africa is truly a global power of retailing.

Syd Vianello, doyen of SA retail analysts, has identified Pick n Pay’s Boxer chain as being the secret weapon in the Big Blue’s arsenal. “I don’t think people realise what a powerful brand that is and could be," says he. “They are doing the right things in that direction.” He points out that more Boxers are being opened than Pick n Pay corporates. This as part of a broader discussion on the resurgence of Pick n Pay, which is slowly but surely chipping away at Shoprite’s market share. Vianello is confident that the business is on its way back – it’s a great brand in a robust sector, he says, which at least in SA has not been materially affected by the move to online retail. One of Pick n Pay’s big successes has been through the growth in an obscure line item called “other income,” which increased by more than 30% last year, and includes money-spinners such as supplier rebates, marketing contributions, financial service income, franchise fees and the sale of data derived from the Smart Shopper programme to suppliers.

Comment: It’s long been said of Pick n Pay that it is a financial institution as much as it is a retailer. This recent growth seems to bear that out.

Continuing its Good Business Journey by sea this week would be Woolworths, which, even as our international waters are beset by predatory armadas of Chinese trawlers, have announced that they have met the sustainable seafood targets they set for themselves in 2013, having introduced a sustainable seafood policy in 2008. These goals were ambitious: all of its wild-caught seafood was to be green-listed according to the World Wide Fund’s SA sustainable seafood initiative (WWF-SASSI), or caught from a fishery OK’d by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), or from a fishery undertaking credible steps towards improvement. By May this year, 97% of all seafood sold by Woolies was sourced this way.

Comment: As urgent as the issue of climate change is to the deplorable state of the world’s oceans, which require initiatives like these if we are to continue to feed ourselves from their rapidly diminishing bounty.

Demonstrating the virtues of diversification this week are Tongaat Hulett, who turned in an acceptable set of results despite the relentless northeasterly headwinds experienced by their flagship sugar division, which was horribly hit by drought in the canelands of KZN, and a scarcity of water and electricity in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and saw volumes down by 22%, and operating profits by 85%. Overall, Group revenue declined 3.2%, while operating profit fell 13.5% to R1.8bn. Saving the business from total oblivion this time around were the starch and glucose value-added operations, and the property-development business, which continues to turn waving canefields into golf estates and light industrial developments, sometimes in uncomfortable proximity to each other. In these areas of the business, apparently, record growth was experienced. “It’s like two sides of the same coin, but different,” said CEO and Zen Master Peter Staude.

Comment: And that, ladies and gentlemen is how you hedge.

The ramifications of the AB InBev SABMiller deal continue to spool themselves out uncontrollably, creating confusion, money and in some cases both. Take Distell, for example – please – whose share price has jumped 6% on the Competition Commission’s ruling that SABMiller has to divest itself of its 27% share in the cider and spirits business within three years of signature, if it wants the deal to go ahead. SABMiller has held a controlling interest in the business since 1979, together with Remgro and Capevin, who have issued a statement acknowledging their pre-emptive rights to the shares. They’ve also said they’d do the right thing by their own shareholders, but have not yet specified what this may be. In the meantime, FAWU have said they’re going to appeal against the merger at the Competition Tribunal, on the grounds that members participating in the SABMiller employee share-programme aren’t being fairly compensated.

Comment: Watch this space. For the next ten years or so, we reckon.

So we only dodged a bullet they say. Jislaaik. Thanks Standard and Poor’s (S&P) for not downgrading the status of our government bonds to sub-investment, for not plunging the Beloved Country into recession, our youth into deepening unemployment and our dear old ZAR into freefall. S&P, you will recall, remain concerned about our poor rate of economic growth and our rising political tensions, and will be revisiting their decision in December. In the meantime, Fitch are also having another squiz, and will make an announcement regarding their rating sometime late on Wednesday. At the moment they have us just one notch above junk. These agencies are all looking for some policy action to be taken to turn the economy around.

Comment: This was a wakeup call. The near smash that makes you put your toddler back in the car seat, and send the jammy in to get its brakes done. It’s literally a last chance for the economy, and a call for bold and visionary action.

We do not wish to add the fuel of hearsay to the fire of speculation that Walmart may be looking to divest itself of its interest in Massmart. But likewise, we would be irresponsible not to inform you that this speculation is ongoing, in such August Publications as The Times no less.

Go Engen, who this week will be opening their 600^th Quickshop, at the Riverhorse Valley Convenience Centre in Durban. They’ll also soon be opening their 70^th Woolworths Food Stop, in an as yet, undisclosed venue.

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) is launching a programme aimed at helping smaller suppliers to comply with global food safety standards. The Global Food-Safety Initiative (GFSI) global markets programme will build the capacity of smaller suppliers to establish an auditable food-safety management system in their businesses.