South Africa’s biggest retailer opens bursary applications – including a job offer

The Shoprite Group has announced that it has opened its next round of bursary applications for the 2024/25 academic year.

It said that all “high-achieving students” interested in the retail space can apply for the comprehensive programme, which will be open from 1 July to 30 September 2024.

The group is specifically targeting students enrolled for degree studies in:

• Accounting
• Biological Sciences
• Information Technology
• Logistics and Supply Chain
• Retail Business Management
• Food Sciences
• Agricultural Sciences

The bursary covers tuition and on-campus accommodation and provides a monthly grocery allowance as well as access to the Group’s Employee Wellness Programme.

“Most beneficiaries are offered employment upon graduation and receive on-the-job training to ensure a seamless transition into the business where they can explore many career options,” Shoprite said.

Shoprite is the largest single private-sector employer in South Africa, with over 160,000 employees on its books.

It invests around R15 million toward funding over 200 bursary students each financial year.

Interested students can apply via the group’s bursary website.

The bursaries are targeting students interested in the fields of accounting, biological and agricultural sciences, food science, IT and logistics. All of these positions are based in Brackenfell, Western Cape.

However, the bursaries for those interested in retail business management can take up positions nationally.

Great performance

Of South Africa’s big retail groups, Shoprite has proven to be a highly successful business, having posted strong profits and outperforming its competitors.

Investors have noted that the group stands “head and shoulders above the rest“, consistently delivering robust earnings and revenue growth over the past few years, with increased customer visits, expanding market share, and an improved average customer spend across its core brands.

The group has also proven to be a market leader in terms of innovation and development, pioneering the surge in same-day delivery in the country with Sixty60 and, on the energy front, a massive rollout of rooftop solar to reduce reliance on the national grid.

The business is now looking to expand beyond just non-discretionary items by also including durable goods in its delivery service offering and the more recent development of adding digital bulk purchases for small businesses.

Speaking to BusinessTech in May, the group also noted its intention to lean into shifts in consumer behaviour by further developing its rewards offerings and expanding the services targetted at higher LSM markets.

The group said that students who complete its bursary programme and take up positions have the potential to boost their career trajectories in the retail space, highlighting several students who have made significant progress in the years following the completion of their studies.

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