SOUTH AFRICAN grocery retail giant Pick n Pay has completed the takeover of OK Grocer at Keetmanshoop.

This was confirmed by Pick n Pay's regional manager, Lourens Engelbrecht.

Engelbrecht said the retailer bought OK Grocer after its owner put it up for sale.

According to Engelbrecht, stock takeover and rebranding will start this Friday while the official opening of the shop is set for March 27.

Engelbrecht said the retailer plans to retain all workers, but added they would undergo a recruitment interview process.

"All workers have an opportunity to work for Pick n Pay," Engelbrecht said.

The Namibian Competition Commission has already approved the takeover.

The workers of OK Grocer were dissatisfied with their severance payments. According to the workers, some of whom had worked at the shop for five years, they were given "paltry" sums ranging between N$1 000 and N$2 000.

The owner of OK Grocer, Jakobus Hendrik Oosthuisen, rejected accusations that he had cheated the workers, saying that the severance payments were calculated as stipulated by the Labour Law.

"If we have made some calculation errors, they can come back so that we can rectify the error," said Oosthuisen.