29 November 2007
Maputo — The South African group Shoprite on Wednesday inaugurated its fifth supermarket in Mozambique, in the southern city of Matola.
The Matola supermarket represents an investment of eight million US dollars, and the chairperson of the Shoprite board, White Besson, expects a return on this investment in eight years.
The Shoprite Matola operation will employ 129 people, and will also give an opportunity to 130 local farmers to sell their produce.
The governor of Maputo province, Telmina Pereira, said the new branch of Shoprite means that Matola citizens will no longer have to leave their own municipality to find a large supermarket. In the past they were obliged to travel into Maputo (or even over the border into South Africa) to do their shopping.
Pereira added that the construction of this supermarket shows "there is a good environment for this kind of investment, and to undertake other kinds of business in Matola".
The mayor of Matola, Carlos Tembe, agreed. The Matola shoprite was evidence of the growth of the municipality. He assured the South African investors that they will be successful, pointing out that Matola now has a population estimated at 700,000.
"This undertaking means that we have achieved a political goal", said Tembe. "We have honoured our promise to bring a new face to the city, by attracting further investment".
Shoprite has 1,100 shops in 17 African countries. Its other Mozambican supermarkets are in Maputo, Beira, Chimoio and Nampula.
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