Online Reporter
Retail giant, Sai Mart, owned by Bulawayo businessman and legislator Cde Raj Modi, has taken over all former Choppies Zimbabwe outlets across the country. The retail chain, which is now undertaking a re-branding exercise, has retained all the Choppies Zimbabwe employees, which are estimated to be about 1 100.
The Botswana-headquartered Choppies retail chain recently exited Zimbabwe saying it wants to focus on sustainable growth and profitability across its regional operations.
The retail chain, which used to operate 30 grocery stores across the country, entered the Zimbabwean market in 2013 when it acquired several Spar shops and expanded its footprint in 2014 when it opened its distribution centre in Zimbabwe.
The move by Cde Modi to takeover former Choppies and retain all the workers is very commendable. Fear gripped the workers when Choppies announced that it was exiting Zimbabwe and the decision by Cde Modi to retain all the workers has therefore given them a new lease of life. Instead of just mourning about businesses closing down, we want people like Cde Modi who takeover such businesses because they have confidence in their country’s economy.
We have said it before that Zimbabweans should take the lead in investing in their country and investment by foreigners should just be a bonus.
Cde Modi who is also Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce said all the former Choppies outlets across the country have been restocked.
“We acquired all the Choppies outlets nationwide and retained all the workers,” said Deputy Minister Modi who is leading from the front.
The country’s detractors were celebrating the closure of retail outlets such as Choppies and citizens like Cde Modi are now shaming them. Zimbabwe last year recorded many positives as far as development is concerned. Instead of building on this success, this year started badly with a number of retail outlets threatening to close due to stiff competition from the informal sector.
What is, however, encouraging is that the situation seems to have stabilised. The formal and informal sectors should co-exist as has been the case over the years.
Government should be commended for stepping up its fight against smuggling of goods into the country, which were finding their way to the informal sector where they were being sold for ridiculously low prices. This has been giving the informal sector unfair advantage hence it was threatening formal businesses.
Zimbabwe has been witnessing the establishment of new companies across the country and many other such projects that have transformed the livelihoods of citizens but the threat by big retail operators to close branches was now sending a wrong message to potential investors.
The swift Government intervention has stabilised the situation as fewer goods are now being smuggled into the country. Zimbabwe should remain an investment destination of choice in the region and beyond as it remains “Open for Business” for both its citizens and foreigners.
Let every citizen put shoulder to the wheel as we build the Zimbabwe we all want. Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo (Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo).
