Shoprite CTO on recruits who bring their own AI agents

Shoprite CTO on recruits who bring their own AI agents

Shoprite Group chief technology officer Chris Shortt About 12 000 Shoprite Group employees are using generative AI tools, and the retailer has built its own platform to route their requests to whichever model can handle them most effectively and cheaply. Chris Shortt, group chief technology officer at Africa’s largest retailer, told TechCentral’s Meet the CIO…

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R&A Cellular deal closes: Shoprite takes 51% stake

R&A Cellular deal closes: Shoprite takes 51% stake

Shoprite Holdings CEO Pieter Engelbrecht Shoprite has completed its acquisition of R&A Cellular, taking an initial 51% of the eMalahleni company whose point-of-sale devices sit behind the counter in spaza shops and informal stores across South Africa. The transaction became effective on 14 August 2026, according to Shoprite Holdings’ results for the 52 weeks to…

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Shoprite targets informal retail with fintech expansion

Shoprite targets informal retail with fintech expansion

Shoprite’s trading profit increased 8.4% to R16.2 billion, while gross profit rose 8.1% to R66.5 billion for the 52 weeks ended 28 June. Shoprite has expanded its push into South Africa’s informal economy and digital financial services after finalising the acquisition of an initial 51% stake in R&A Cellular. According to the retail group’s latest…

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Shoprite bakes AI into Sixty60 with Pixie launch

Shoprite bakes AI into Sixty60 with Pixie launch

ShopriteX, the innovation arm of the Shoprite Group, has launched Pixie, an AI-powered shopping assistant inside the Sixty60 app — starting with Xtra Savings Plus members. Pixie is a personalised recommendation engine that learns from a shopper’s purchase history, restocking patterns and preferences, and surfaces products it thinks they are likely to need. It comes…

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Shoprite adds AI shopping assistant to Sixty60 app

Shoprite adds AI shopping assistant to Sixty60 app

Sixty60 has launched Pixie, a new AI shopping assistant. Shoprite Group has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature on its Checkers Sixty60 app, aimed at simplifying online grocery shopping by predicting what customers need before they search for it. According to a statement, the feature, called Pixie, acts as a built-in shopping assistant that…

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Shoprite Group makes solar energy gains

Shoprite Group makes solar energy gains

Shoprite Group’s rooftop solar systems are now enough to power nearly 12 300 households annually. Retail giant Shoprite Group has installed its 100th solar photovoltaic (PV) system, 10 years after launching its first solar project in 2015. The company says its rooftop solar systems generate enough clean electricity to power nearly 12 300 households annually….

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BNPL market hots up as Shoprite enters space

BNPL market hots up as Shoprite enters space

Shoprite Group has signed a partnership with Weaver Fintech (formerly Homechoice International) subsidiary PayJustNow to bring buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options to customers for a wide range of items, including groceries. According to the retail giant, BNPL is available for selected brands, including Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper, Usave, Checkers Outdoor, Uniq clothing by…

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Shoprite jobs platform hires workers closer to home

Shoprite jobs platform hires workers closer to home

Shoprite Group has developed and deployed a centralised digital recruitment platform that is already changing how South Africa’s largest private employer sources employees. Built in partnership with local technology SME, OTB Group, and supported through Shoprite’s enterprise and supplier development arm, Next Capital, the system matches job applicants to vacancies in stores closest to their…

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