Shoprite Checkers has admitted that the current economic situation in the country is harsh.
Shoprite Zambia General Manager Charles Bota said the business environment has become very challenging for the retail chain store.
Mr Bota was speaking during the opening of a new Shoprite, Hungry Lion and OK Furniture store in Solwezi on Friday which was officiated by North Western Permanent Secretary Ephraim Mateyo.
The new Solwezi Shoprite store is the 29th Store in Zambia and is situated at the new City Mall while the Hungry Lion store is the 21st in the county and the OK Furniture store becomes the 7th in the country.
Mr Bota revealed that the opening up of the three stores in Solwezi has created 250 permanent Zambian jobs for the local people.
He said Shoprite has also created more shelf space for local and foreign products on the 16,700 strong items on range list for the new store.
Mr Bota revealed that 75% of these are supplied by local suppliers and local agents.
what’s the point of opening shops when people dont have money to buy?
If anybody had any doubt that Edgar has no capacity to run an economy, there is the answer. On way to reduce mealie meal prices Edgar said way to do it is by curbing smuggling. Pathetic!! We need to create jobs and that requires special skills and not just imbibing Jameson and threatening opposition leaders
Is it a coincidence that the head of Shoprite is a South African, and that they are pushing South African mass produced products, like Wildeklawer?
And undoubtedly destroyed many more local jobs at local markets. This is what is called The High Cost Of Low Prices. In the US, when a WalMart comes to town, it suppresses jobs and other retailers in a 100 mile radius. So I’m not very convinced by the ‘we’ll bring jobs’ claim.
Charles Bota is a Zambian and a Tumbuka by tribe.Don’t confuse “Bota” and “Botha”.Mr Bota was a Regional Manager at NIEC stores for many years.In fact a good number of former NIEC,Mwaiseni stores etc. employees are managing these South African own retail stores.It’s FTJ who rushed to liberalize the economy with no regard for the local business.FTJ bragged that he is the one who brought back “Ama Apples na Coca Cola”.We had our own “Tip-Top”,”Mango Juice” and Dairy Produce Board “Milk Biscuits” despite IMF sanctions.The only Zambian products we can brag about is Boom and Maheu produced by Trades Kings.
Bota is a Tumbuka name and some people do spell it “Botha” like the boers
Shoprite is committing a cardinal sin of contradicting President Lungu. Didn’t Mr Bota hear Lungu say the Zimbabwean economy is “okay” and not “broken” so it does not need fixing. Zambia is the only country in the World whose growth is led by road construction and supermarket openings.
I won’t vote for K15 million thief Lungu…..please join me in preventing this thief from stealing another K75 million in next five years. This guy was disbarred by LAZ for stealing clients money. That’s a fact!
Shoprite, how can you say the economy is harsh when the President a few days ago said the economy is super fine.
In Europe the big hypermarkets like Asda Walmart, Lidi, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Tesco work with local farmers and manufacturers…they assist the farmers produce consistent farm produce to their specifications. Shoprite is merely interested in promoting their Boer farmers and RSA industry…when were they open stores they come with their partners. Even up to now they can trust an African to manage things they reserve those jobs for Boers.
*Even up to now they can’t trust an African to manage things
Bota is an african. He is a black Zambian
in kalulushi shops are closing coz business is hard and owners failing to make good sales becoz pipo have no money to spend .
Bota is tumbuka and Zambian and not South African. He used to work for old ZCBC before he joined Shoprite when it just came to Zambia as a Store manager in Kitwe
Thank you for the correction!!
This idi0t of a president Lungu is busy cheating gullible illiterate cadres that the economy in the country is just fine!
You already made billions from NIEC and ZCBC stores given at a platter to you!
Is he related to Simon Bota?….. Bota is a tumbuka name. BOTHA is afrikaaans
My childhood friend in Kitwe was john Botha not bota
I m surprised the 2016 most incompetent and 1di0tic president of the millennium didn’t go out to commission.