Shoprite reports 12.2% earnings growth, acquires Vida e Caffè

SOUTH AFRICA – South African retailer Shoprite Holdings has reported a 12.2% increase in annual headline earnings and announced acquisitions worth about R1 billion (US$62 million), including speciality coffee chain Vida e Caffè and a majority stake in R&A Cellular. 

Chief Executive Pieter Engelbrecht said the acquisition of Vida e Caffè, South Africa’s largest speciality coffee chain with more than 400 outlets, would strengthen Shoprite’s presence in the coffee and convenience segment. 

“Its broad and demographically diverse customer base is supported by a range of store formats, including high street, forecourt, drive-thru, corporate office and retail locations, as well as an increasingly integrated digital offering,” Engelbrecht said. 

Founded in 2001, Vida e Caffè was inspired by the street cafés of Portugal and combines those influences with African energy. The brand, whose name means “coffee and life” in Portuguese, has expanded from a single neighbourhood coffee shop into an international business. 

It now operates across Ghana, Mauritius, Zambia, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia and Angola, alongside its South African network. 

Vida has also expanded through partnerships and acquisitions. In 2021, it acquired healthy restaurant chain Sweetbeet, which operates in the Western Cape and Gauteng. The coffee chain has partnerships including complimentary coffee for Lift Airline customers and Vida coffee bars in SPAR and Exclusive Books stores. 

Its operations also include forecourt services, corporate partnerships, food trucks and drive-thru outlets. Customers can order Vida products through Uber Eats and Mr D, while the company also operates its own app. 

The acquisitions come as Shoprite records growth across its business. The group reported a 7.1% increase in revenue to R274.8 billion (US$17.09B) for the 2026 financial year, compared with R256.6 billion in 2025. Sales increased 7.2% year-on-year. 

Headline earnings per share rose 12.2% to R15.27. Shoprite’s Checkers Sixty60 operations recorded a 34.5% increase in sales during the year. 

South African supermarket operations remained the group’s largest source of revenue, generating R228.7 billion (US$14.2B) in sales. Operations outside South Africa generated R22.8 billion. 

Shoprite and Usave, which focus on affordability, recorded more modest growth, with sales increasing approximately 4.3%. Excluding Shoprite Liquor, the two chains opened a combined 83 stores, taking their total footprint to 1,259 stores. 

Shoprite remains South Africa’s largest retailer by revenue and employs more than 174,000 people. 

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