SPAR South Africa CEO resigns

The SPAR Group has announced that its South Africa chief executive Max Oliva will be stepping down after 30 years with the business.

This follows the announcement earlier this month (4 June) that Oliva would take up the position of CEO of McDonald’s South Africa.

SPAR said that to ensure continuity and maintain the strong momentum SPAR South Africa is currently experiencing, SPAR Group CEO, Angelo Swartz, will assume operational leadership of the Southern Africa region.

“Oliva leaves behind a remarkable legacy with SPAR and an enduring contribution to the retail industry,” the group said.

Commenting on the move, Oliva said: “It has been an honour to serve SPAR for the past three decades. While this was not an easy decision, I am confident that the business is in capable hands.

“Angelo has my full support, and I am excited to see how the team continues to build on the momentum we’ve created.”

Oliva will take up the position of McDonald’s CEO from 1 July 2025.

Swartz will now take up an expanded role in the group, besides his experience with the Group Executive Committee.

He will continue to drive the broader strategic and operational initiatives across the business, SPAR said.

The retailer said that Swartz will focus on the Southern Africa operations and ensure continued progress on key priorities, particularly around reigniting top-line growth, unlocking operational efficiencies, and supporting independent retailers.

As group CEO, he has already driven a turnaround strategy across operations, which have seen the retailer exit its European territories to refocus on more profitable operations back home.

In that sense, the roles of the group CEO and South Africa CEO are already becoming more closely aligned, with SPAR now focusing on the Southern Africa markets in general.

“Swartz is a highly experienced executive with a longstanding career at SPAR and a deep understanding of the local market and retailer network. His leadership has been instrumental in several of the Group’s recent initiatives and achievements,” SPAR said.

“With Swartz at the helm, supported by a talented leadership team, SPAR South Africa is well-positioned to continue executing its strategy and delivering value to all stakeholders.”