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Blessings Chidakwa
Herald Reporter
A 27-year-old Kadoma woman, Ms Virginia Dende, who received her brand new US$60 000 Ford Ranger after recently winning the grand prize in the OK Grand Challenge competition yesterday said she was still in shock as the only thing she had only won previously was a T-shirt.
For Ms Dende it was nothing but smiles at OK Zimbabwe’s Belvedere branch after receiving her top-of-the-range vehicle with people taking turns to congratulate her.
Over 40 Nissan NP200s and the Ford Ranger double cab won by Ms Dende, were up for grabs in this year’s competition, courtesy of a diverse network of suppliers.
The pricey new generation Ford Ranger becomes her first car.
“I am more than happy. Since the day I was announced as the winner at the Ok Grand Challenge I could not believe it, but I was saying I am waiting for the day of the handover of the car.
“Up to now I am still in shock. I don’t even know if I will be able to drive home or will find someone else to do so. The feeling I have right now, the happiness in me is just too much,” said the grand winner.
Ms Dende said winning has never been her thing neither for her friends nor relatives.
“I had never won anything except for last year when I won a T-Shirt in the Ok Grand challenge in Kadoma, but I never believed I would win a car and drive it home one day,” she said.
When she was announced as the winner over a week ago at the draw held in front of thousands of people at the Borrowdale Racecourse in Harare, she was absent as she never expected to emerge with any prize.
As of her plans with the vehicle, Ms Dende said she was still numb and had not given it much thought. “So far, I have no plans, I am still in shock,” she said.
Ms Dende is employed as a procurement officer at Odyssey Hotel in Kadoma.
Previously, there were allegations that some winners dabbled in juju to enhance their chances of winning, but Ms Dende said it could only be God for her. “I believe in God and nothing else. I go to Celebration Church and it can only be God who showed his hand upon my life. This is the first car that I have ever owned and I am still in awe.”
In a statement after the ceremony, OK Zimbabwe said it was humbling to see the brand growing trust and seeing more smiles on the stakeholders faces.
“At OK Zimbabwe our purpose is to make happiness tangible by planting smiles on our employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and the communities we operate in. It refines our inquisitiveness, makes us more agile and stretches our drive to be modern so that we can serve more effectively,” OK Zimbabwe said.
The retail giant said its employees have also been priceless.
“Every week we gave away an award to the best recommended employees in our stores. As the curtain comes down today we are also awarding employees across all regions for the great work done.”
A record 12,1 million entries were made in the 2023 OK Grand Challenge, and over US$1 million worth of prizes were up for grabs.
The 35th annual promotion kicked-off nationwide on April 5, and ran until last Saturday.
Included in the vehicle prizes were the Shoppers Choice Loyalty Club NP200 and the Ritebrand car prize where customers qualified through buying groceries worth $15 000 and $10 000 of the brands exclusively found in OK stores. These were complemented by weekly prizes, whose qualification criteria required customers to buy general groceries worth $10 000.
The OK Grand Challenge is the biggest and longest running retail promotion in Zimbabwe, having been launched 1988.
The group skipped the 2020 edition owing to Covid-19 but continues to grow its branch network under diverse brands like OK Stores, OK Mart, Bon Marche, and the recently acquired Food Lovers, minus the Greendale franchise holder, as well as specialty stores like pharmacies.
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