This is underpinned by Choppies' commitment to giving the best value to our customers. Our success and growth are inextricably tied to those of all of our stakeholders. We want to be known as a firm that actually cares about and gives back to the communities where we do business. We cannot only fulfil our Company's goals but should also have a good impact on all of our stakeholders by embodying this mission and forming partnerships with our communities, suppliers, and employees.

How we live our purpose, through three main pillars, is set out below:

• Access to the best service

  Choppies provides its communities with constant access to a wide range of goods and services, as well as employment and purchasing capacity, all while providing exceptional customer service and the best overall value.

  • Access to large bouquet of products and services
  • One-stop-shop format
  • New opportunities for local producers to reach new markets
  • Vast footprint reaching rural and urban communities
  • Best total value – fair and transparent deals
  • Improves inclusion in communities
  • Efficient services – saving time for customers.

• Cares and empowers

  With its responsible behaviour, a retailer that cares for and empowers its communities to better their wellbeing.

  • Long-lasting commitment to stakeholders providing support in difficult times
  • Respect for local culture embedded in offering
  • Health and safety
  • Committed to reducing carbon footprint
  • Empowers stakeholders to grow.

• Works for and with you

  Choppies strives to improve with and for its stakeholders in order to grow together and create shared value.

  • Listens to stakeholders to customise offering
  • Takes informed decisions
  • Efficient value chain
  • Constantly evaluating opportunities, technologies and innovations to improve progress and efficiency
  • Working in partnership with local communities, suppliers, entrepreneurs and employees
  • Leverages capabilities and experience of various territories to improve Group-wide operations.

Core values

Our core values are derived from the concept of Botho, a Tswana word encapsulating the concept of Ubuntu or humanity and caring for the community.

Shared value

Our dedication to Botho and shared value pervades everything we do and is reflected in our strategic goals. It is motivated by our desire to be a good corporate citizen and have a positive impact in the communities where we operate by ensuring mutual prosperity.

• Develop
  local businesses
• Population
  upskilling
• Care for the
  environment
• Population
  access

One-stop-shop

Choppies has established a reputation as a one-stop-shop in the communities where it operates. This implies it not only trades products and services with stakeholders, but also intangibles like skills and innovation, encouraging mutual prosperity. Our goal is to eventually impact the communities in which we work while also growing a prosperous Company.

Choppies five-year strategy

The Group revised its strategy of the past three years as set out below:

• Divest from loss-making regions

  		Status for FY2022
  The divestment from the loss-making regions in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania has been completed and the drain from these regions on the Group results has ended.		Achieved

• Slow and managed expansion in profitable regions

  		Status for FY2022
  The Group will continue its measured expansion in profitable regions as a strategic objective.		Ongoing

• Debt restructure and reduction

  		Status for FY2022
  A debt reduction agreement was reached between the Group and lenders as reported in prior years. In terms of this agreement debt reduction will continue until 2026. The debt restructure plan was successfully implemented with the reduction of debt an ongoing priority.		Achieved

• Improve corporate governance

  		Status for FY2022
  Much progress has been made during the past two years to restore the widely reported breakdowns in corporate governance. Currently the Group’s corporate governance is based on the King IV code and is considered on par with best global practices.		Achieved

• Improve stakeholder relationships

  		Status for FY2022
  Relationships with most stakeholders are sound and ongoing.		Achieved

• Accelerate the conversion of negative equity into positive equity

  		Status for FY2022
  The rate at which the negative equity reduces is currently dependent on the net profits generated by the Group. A recapitalisation to strengthen the balance sheet may have to be considered in the near future in consultation with shareholders.		Ongoing