SEFALANA SEBINA SHOPPER OFFICIALLY OPEN
Sefalana Shopper opened their 33rd store in the country in Sebina on Friday.
The Sebina store brings the total number of Sefalana shops to 67, including the 24 Cash and Carry stores spread across the length and breadth of the country.
Welcoming guests at a brief official opening ceremony Kgosi Shathani Kgakanyane of Sebina the arrival of the shop will bring a lot of opportunities for young people in and around her village. Kgakanyane further appealed to Sebina residents to jealously guard the new shop to ensure it doesn’t fall victim to unscrupulous characters who have made it a habit to target such large shops. A happy Wilfred Amon Boitshwarelo, who leased his plot and premises to Sefalana expressed his gratitude to Botswana’s biggest retail shop for the smooth relations they’ve cultivated for over three decades. “My relationship with Sefalana dates back to 1984, and I believe that’s why they gave me an ear when I presented this proposal,” he said. The proud landlord, popularly known as Botshelo in Sebina urged residents to support the new shop as they did his old General Dealer. Giving an overview of their business Sefalana Managing Director Chandra Chauhan said the 46-year-old company was the first local establishment to list on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE), in 1974 with 93% shareholding by7 citizens. Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) is the majority shareholder with 46% shares followed by Motorvehicle Accident Fund (MVA) and Debswana Pension Fund with 12% and 10% respectively. Chauhan said this makes Sefalana a truly citizen-owned company, that continues to give meaningful employment to locals, particularly the youth. On their agreement to lease Boitshwarelo’s premises Chauhan said it is common knowledge that usually when big shops open in small villages, the small shops cease to exist. “When Botshelo realised that he could not compete with some of the biggest shops he decided to lease and rent out these premises and become a landlord. This is an investment that will be enjoyed by the family for years to come as they are assured of rental on a monthly basis without fail,” he said. “This new shop has created employment for 65 citizens,” revealed Chauhan. Sefalana operations commenced through the purchasing of local activities of Bechmalt Holdings Limited, a South African company consisting of six wholesale units in 1974. In an effort to localise control and become a truly Botswana company, Sefalana Holding Company Limited was formed in 1986, through which remaining shares from South African shareholders were purchased and management and administrative functions were moved from Boksburg-south Africa to Gaborone. In his keynote address, Assistant District Commissioner Kabelo Tshekiso said Sefalana Sebina Shopper will not cater for the residents only but will assist even members of her public from surrounding villages. “It’ll also serve those on transit and at the same time decongesting other shops especially during this difficult time of the outbreak of Covid-19,” Tshekiso said. He said beyond the 65 employed, the new store will also boost other businesses such as hawkers, taxi drivers, and tuckshops. The Assistant District Commissioner lastly appealed to members of the public to take extra care during the festive season and practice desirable road user behavior on the road. Meanwhile, Kemmonye Amon, who’s the landlord’s son and was leading negotiations between Sefalana and the family thanked his parents for their vision. He said he was humbled by his parents for entrusting him with their finances. “It wasn’t easy but we managed. This is testimony to what being loyal to your partners can bring you in the long run,” he said adding that his father’s relationship with Sefalana made negotiations easy. “It was such a reassruing feeling to know even at ground breaking stage that we already had a client ready to occupy the building,” said Amon.