SA’s largest corporate employer, Shoprite, is harnessing local technology to transform the way it hires, creating jobs closer to home while supporting small businesses.
Shoprite said it had partnered with the SA SMME OTB Group, backed by its enterprise and supplier development division, Shoprite Next Capital, to develop a centralised digital recruitment platform.
The system prioritises job opportunities near candidates’ homes, simplifying applications, reducing travel costs and speeding up the hiring process.
“Our new recruitment platform addresses a critical need for greater job access,” said Maude Modise, Shoprite’s enterprise and government relations executive.
“By actively supporting OTB in fulfilling this business need, we are expanding our efforts to assist small suppliers beyond our retail operations and to help power our retail operations.”
Since its rollout, the platform has already created at least six permanent jobs at OTB and an additional 12 indirect jobs through hosting, security and support partners. For Shoprite applicants, the system streamlines assessments, accelerates screening and makes interviews more accessible. For recruiters, it standardises processes and creates a local talent pool.
Job creation
The initiative forms part of a broader drive by Shoprite to create jobs and expand its footprint. In the 2025 financial year, the group added 8,723 jobs and 281 stores.
It has continued this momentum into the 2026 financial year, opening 81 new stores in the first quarter alone, most under Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and LiquorShop, alongside newer formats such as Petshop Science, Uniq, Checkers Outdoor and Little Me.
The expansion is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs over the course of the year.
The new recruitment platform, Modise said, aligned with Shoprite’s broader goal to provide accessible employment while supporting local enterprise and driving innovation in retail.
“As SA’s largest private employer, it is imperative we continue being deliberate in our support of small businesses to help grow the economy, and in this case, to develop a recruitment platform that enables us to provide jobs closer to home, in the very communities we serve.”
Chair Wendy Lucas-Bull said at the group’s AGM recently that job creation remained vital for Shoprite.
Lucas-Bull said the group also made a big impact through the Youth Employment Service programme, training 2,663 unemployed youth, with 2,646 of them securing jobs at Shoprite. More than 17,800 employees were promoted “in recognition of service”.
She said through the Retail Readiness programme, 3,349 individuals had been trained for retail work, with more than R85m spent on training. More than 1,000 joined Shoprite, while the rest were equipped to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
“At Shoprite job creation remains critically important,” she said. “We are proud to be SA’s largest private sector employer and the largest contributor to the Youth Employment Service programme.”
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