{"id":857871,"date":"2026-04-21T14:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=857871"},"modified":"2026-04-21T14:35:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:35:25","slug":"leadership-shake-up-at-spar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/857871\/leadership-shake-up-at-spar\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership shake-up at SPAR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The SPAR Group has undergone a major leadership shake-up as it looks to grow following a challenging few years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main leadership change at the group saw former Woolworths Finance Director Reeza Isaacs taking over as Group CEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaacs joined SPAR as the group CFO in January 2025 after leaving Woolworths. He replaced Angelo Swartz as CEO in March 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaacs is leading a newly structured leadership team, which has been tasked with accelerating operational execution across its Southern African business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPAR said it has simplified its portfolio and strengthened its financial position over the past two years by selling its businesses in Switzerland and Poland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group has faced a challenging few years, with SAP implementation issues at its KZN distribution centre and large impairments in its overseas businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It recorded a R5 billion loss in the 2025 financial year, as its discontinued operations in the UK and Switzerland posted a R6.1 billion loss. The group’s share price has dropped 30% year-to-date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group’s next phase is about improving day-to-day performance in stores, across distribution, and in how retailers are supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know where we need to be better, and we\u2019re acting on it,\u201d said Isaacs. \u201cThat starts with the everyday experience of our retailers.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a tough trading environment, where store owners are navigating cost pressures and changing customer behaviour, our success depends on how well we back them.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that a store owner’s success depends on how well their stores are stocked, when reliable deliveries arrive and how the group supports the business at a local level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are focused on making sure the right support shows up in practical ways, from distribution to pricing to in-store execution,” added Isaacs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of this strategy, the group has named Jerome Jacobs as Managing Director: Grocery and Liquor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacobs has 30 years of experience in the business and brings extensive knowledge of the SPAR system, spanning from distribution centres to store operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was previously MD of SPAR North Rand, which is one of the group\u2019s most complex divisions, and served on the SPAR Guild. It said that he has a strong understanding of the realities retailers face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His focus will be on driving greater efficiency and consistency across the group’s supply chain, with an emphasis on improving distribution centre performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will also focus on sharpening pricing alignment and strengthening the link between DC operations and in-store execution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group said that a main priority will be ensuring that pricing and availability are more consistent and competitive, helping retailers strengthen customer trust and build loyalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other executive changes at the group <\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Spar Group CEO Reeza Isaacs<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Other executive changes saw Megan Pydigadu, previously Group COO, being appointed Group CFO<\/strong> and continuing to oversee SA Online, SPAR Health, Pet Storey and Technology Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group said that Pydigadu’s time as COO has given her a deep understanding of how the SPAR business operates across its full value chain, helping her fulfil the CFO role. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Pydigadu combines strong financial stewardship and strategic delivery with a well-rounded perspective spanning both finance and retail operations,” the group said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This breadth of experience gives her a clear understanding of the commercial drivers and trading dynamics that underpin performance across a complex retail environment.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group has also appointed John Bradshaw as Chief Marketing Officer<\/strong>. He has 20 years’ worth of experience, having worked at Pick n Pay and Pepkor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With improved marketing, the group hopes to drive footfall, grow basket sizes and maintain strong competitiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese leadership changes are not about adding roles, but about building the capability required to deliver on our commitment to our retailers. The right leaders in the right roles,” said Isaacs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“SPAR\u2019s independent retailer model remains our greatest strength. The focus now is to make that model work better in practice, giving our retailers the confidence, tools and backing they need to succeed.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March<\/a>, the group started a voluntary severance programme in certain areas of the business, which formed part of its plan to improve operational efficiency and competitiveness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SPAR has recorded a series of leadership changes, as it looks to end of an era of pain. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":856831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[9838],"class_list":["post-857871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-spar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857871"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":857890,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857871\/revisions\/857890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/856831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}