Raymond Ackerman was remembered on Thursday as a philanthropist, an entrepreneur who created thousands of jobs, and a man who stood up for consumers and defied the apartheid government.
Ackerman transformed Pick n Pay from a small, four-shop business to a grocery retail behemoth with thousands of stores across SA.
He died at his home on Wednesday at the age of 92.
Ackerman came from a retailing family, with his father having founded Ackermans, a budget-friendly clothing chain now part of Pepkor, after World War 1. He and his wife, Wendy, founded Pick n Pay in 1967 after buying four stores in Cape Town.
Ackerman focused on providing the best deals for consumers and worked to discount prices daily a long time before other supermarkets did, according to Hugh Herman, who worked at Pick n Pay from 1976 until 1993 and then served as the retailer’s nonexecutive chair until 2022.
“He did things that were good for the consumer, cutting the bread price and cutting the petrol price, even though there were a lot of repercussions from government,” Herman said.
Ackerman told the Financial Mail that when his friends were emigrating to Australia in the 1960s, he decided to stay in SA and contribute to its social improvement. “We resolved to stay. But if we were going to do so, we had to become more involved in improving the lives of the people around us.”
When Pick n Pay listed in 1968 at 4c a share, the Ackermans each set aside 2% of their personal shares for philanthropic endeavours. This later increased to 8%.
Ackerman grew Pick n Pay with a focus on customer service and doing good for the community.
Doing good
“From the outset, he lived by the core values that the customer is queen, that we must treat others as we would wish to be treated, and that doing good is good business,” Pick n Pay said.
Ackerman would stop and ask customers walking home with shopping bags from rival stores why they had not shopped at Pick n Pay, the company said.
He also fought the government through 26 rounds in court over the setting of the petrol price, but lost every time.
In the 1960s, he was determined to promote employees of all races to managerial positions, in defiance of apartheid laws, which forbade it.
He appointed Pick n Pay’s first black manager in his Rondebosch store in 1969 and visited then prime minister John Vorster personally to get him to turn a blind eye.
Ackerman launched many campaigns against monopolies and the price-fixing of foods during apartheid.
Pick n Pay said: “People quickly learnt that they could always rely on Ackerman and Pick n Pay to be on the customer’s side — for example, in his celebrated battles against [apartheid] price regulations, which forced people to pay more than they should for their groceries.”
In 1986, Pick n Pay mounted a successful court challenge against the government’s prohibition on a petrol coupon scheme, which gave customers grocery discount coupons with petrol purchases.
“Raymond Ackerman was a man of the people; never too busy or too proud to make time for others,” Pick n Pay said. “He was an enduring optimist about SA’s future and his passing leaves a great void for us all.”
Ackerman retired from Pick n Pay as executive chair in 2010 but remained involved in the company he built.
Trade unions
Herman said that Ackerman, while being the “foremost expert on retailing in SA”, was unassuming and always interested in other people’s opinions.
“Most people when they get to the top, want to hear one voice. And that’s their own.” But Ackerman listened to others.
“He never threw his weight around. He didn’t believe that he could only consult with captains and kings. He consulted everybody.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to Ackerman, saying he was one of the first retailers to fight on behalf of the consumer against the apartheid state’s monopoly on basic goods.
“Mr Ackerman was one of the first executives to promote black South Africans to senior positions and to acknowledge black trade unions when they were banned from operating.”
He also abolished race classification on the company’s payroll, Ramaphosa said.
“Raymond Ackerman was an outstanding business leader and entrepreneur who placed people first and stood up to the injustices and discrimination which the apartheid regime sought to outsource to the business sector.”
The ANC expressed condolences, saying that Ackerman contributed to building the economy, creating thousands of jobs, entrenching the Pick n Pay footprint and building it into a brand associated with strong corporate social investment.
Thanks
Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said Ackerman was a “truly great Capetonian” who leaves a “huge legacy”.
“Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of handing a gift from the city archives to Mr and Mrs Ackerman: a photo of them at one of their early store openings in Cape Town,” Hill-Lewis said. “I inscribed the photo ‘with grateful thanks for all you have done for Cape Town and her people.’ A sentiment I repeat today.”
The SA Jewish Board of Deputies described Ackerman as a “true SA legend”, praising his achievements in business, philanthropic work and his involvement in the Jewish community.
Business Unity SA CEO Cas Coovadia said Ackerman’s legacy was “one of resilience, integrity and dedication”.
He is survived by his wife, Wendy, his children — Gareth, Kathy, Suzanne and Jonathan — 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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