2024 is party time for Sefalana, as the retail giant reflects on 50 years in existence.
Besides birthday cakes and celebrations, it will also be an extremely busy year for the ambitious Group, who intend to open a further 10 stores locally over the next 12 months.
This will increase the company’s Botswana footprint to an incredible 134 outlets as the Sefalana empire continues to go from strength to strength.
The growth is not restricted to BW, with the group also eying six new Metro stores in Namibia, expanding their Namibian presence to 32 – an impressive achievement considering Sefalana only set-up shop in the country in December 2013.
The Group also maintains a presence in Lesotho, a market it entered in November 2016, with four stores. Sefalana’s shadow even extends beyond Africa, stretching all the way to Australia, where it enjoys a 40 percent stake in the Brisbane-based Seasons Group.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday to mark half-a-century in operation, Group Managing Director, Chandra Chauhan said Sefalana has been a constant force for positive change over the years.
Praising the Group for its contribution to the economy and even the nation’s ‘social fabric’, Chauhan said, “We are proud to employ over 6, 900 with 99 percent of our workforce being citizens of this country. As we reflect on our achievements, we also look forward to the future with optimism and determination. Our corporate strategy, to be a diversified regional group delivering superior shareholder value and returns guides our path.”
Commending the Group for its resilience in surviving challenges and its willingness to embrace opportunities, including becoming the first entity to list on the Botswana Stock Exchange in 1975, he added, “The company is aligned with the government’s focus areas for national development and aims to identify opportunities that contribute to these priorities while continuing to drive sustainable growth and improve customer satisfaction. Job creation will always be at the core of all the group’s growth plans.”
2023 proved another significant year for the retailer, whose turnover stood at a whopping P9.1 billion (the total revenue made from sales that year), while Profit Before Tax came in at P403 million.
However, Chauhan stressed that Sefalana’s true success went way beyond big numbers.
“It is reflected in the impact we have in people’s lives. Sefalana has been a pioneer in employee growth and development, offering accredited training, course and continues opportunities for learning. We believe that our success is intrinsically tied to the success of our people and we will continue to invest in them for the next 50 years and beyond,” he declared.