1) Retail is a large and growing industry in South Africa that employs a wide range of graduates in careers like supply chain, marketing, finance, and IT. 2) While retail may not seem like an obvious career choice, it offers opportunities for career progression and flexibility to specialize in different areas. Graduates can enter retail through internships, learnerships, or graduate recruitment programs. 3) Successful careers in retail require a hands-on approach by starting in store-level roles and working up. Retail experience can provide transferable skills for other industries and some of South Africa's most prominent business leaders started in retail.

1. Love
shopping?
Love
shopping?
Consider a career in retail.
Retail is everywhere, from the malls that dot South Afri-
can cities, to the owner-managed shops in small towns, and
of course on the Internet. While your experience with retail
may not extend much further than chatting with the check-
out lady, there is (obviously) a lot more to it: it is big – very
big – business.
This is reflected in the fact that, according to Statistics South
Africa, consumer spending for 2012 totalled R1.3 trillion and
is forecast to grow by a little over a billion rand for 2013.
Far from just shopkeepers, cashiers and bag-packers, the
large retailers employ a range of graduates as they seek to
maintain competitiveness, achieve profitability (often with
very small margins) and grow their operations across South
Africa and beyond.
Retail offers the opportunity of a highly rewarding career –
all the more so because it isn’t particularly high up on the
‘desire’ list of most graduates. This is confirmed by Leigh
Blochlinger, a director of Retail Relate, which provides train-
ing and coaching solutions for the sector. “Retail is not an
obvious career of choice, although
you can join retail with a wide range
of degrees (BCom, BA, etc). It is sel-
dom a first choice for grads, but is of-
ten the ideal entry point for those stu-
dents who have not got an end goal
in mind.”
Blochlinger adds that those consid-
ering retail as a career have the flex-
ibility once on board to specialise in
a particular area, such as supply chain
or marketing… actually, there’s an
enormous amount of career flexibility.
“There are 67 careers in retail, so there
is a lot of choice. Too often, you think
of a career in HR, you think ‘personnel
agency’; a career in ‘marketing’, you
think ‘advertising company’; ‘finance’,
a bank.” All these careers – and many
more – are aspects of retail. “However,
for many, retail just isn’t seen as sexy
enough. But with a big skills shortage
in this industry, it’s definitely not a bad
career move.”
Sector under
pressure?
Like many sectors of the economy, re-
tail is experiencing challenges.
These include low consum-
er confidence (which reflects
people’s willingness to buy
especially durable goods), rand
weakness, the lingering effects
of the global financial crisis,
and the indebtedness of South
African consumers.
Another threat is that of the rise of on-
line stores (see sidebar). However, that
doesn’t mean the sector isn’t hiring.
Ronnie Mulaudzi, L&D programme
manager at Massmart, says: “As is
normal with any business, some areas
are growing, while others are static.
Recruitment is ongoing in the grow-
ing areas.”
Derek Engelbrecht, a director at Ernst
& Young South Africa, points out that
demand for consumer goods products
may fluctuate – but demand will al-
ways be there.
“When it comes to retail, it’s not just
the South African market that must be
considered, but African markets too.
That’s noteworthy, as it is expected
that 10 years from now, the conven-
tional multinational corporation will
get 50% of its business from emerging
markets. Some may even be headquar-
tered in the emerging markets, and the
demographics in emerging markets fa-
vour profitable growth strategies.”
Donovan Jackson
“There are 67 careers
in retail, so there is a
lot of choice.”
“Remember that
Raymond Ackerman
is an icon in South
Africa and he’s a
retailer.”
– leigh blochlinger
Leigh Blochlinger
from Retail Relate
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2. Massmart HP
Areas of study:
• Retail Management/Entrepreneurship
• Business Science
• Economics
• Marketing
• Logistics and Supply Chain
• Finance
• IT
Retail careers
of choice!
Founded in 1990 and listed on the JSE Limited, Massmart is a South
African-based globally competitive regional management group, invested in
a portfolio of differentiated, complementary, focused wholesale and retail
formats. These are each reliant on high volumes and operational excellence
as the foundation of price leadership, in the distribution of mainly branded
consumer goods for cash. Massmart is the second-largest distributor
of consumer goods in Africa, the leading retailer of general merchandise,
liquor and home improvement equipment and supplies, and the leading
wholesaler of basic foods. The Group’s brands consist of: Game, Dion
Wired, Makro, Builders Warehouse, Builders Express, Builders Trade Depot,
CBW, Jumbo Cash and Carry, Cambridge Food and the Shield buying group.
Massmart employs over 30 000 permanent and flexi-staff employees.
Applications open: 01 April 2013
Applications close: 30 August 2013
Where to apply: http://www.massmart.co.za
Dedicated for value
The aim of the Massmart Graduate Development Programme is to develop your skills in areas such as:
Buying, Planning, Merchandising, Store Operations and Business Analysis. You could launch your career with
one of South Africa’s leading retail companies. All you need is imagination!
a ‘reverse’ trend is emerging: online
stores are opening real-world outlets,
Engelbrecht notes. Examples include
eBay and a formerly online-only divi-
sion of Gap.
“Real-world stores deliver the ability
to touch and feel goods, to engage
with real live salespeople, discuss
needs and perhaps explore ideas one
might not have while sitting behind a
computer,” says Engelbrecht.
What about price, a touchy subject
in the post-recession world? “The
received wisdom is that online is al-
ways cheaper.” Except that isn’t how
it works.
Engelbrecht says that with billions of
pages and millions of stores, reaching
the target audience and then maintain-
ing its attention is a major challenge.
“That means investing in marketing
and advertising.”
In addition, people are still required
behind the processes: orders don’t
simply go out the door. There are re-
turns, support issues, lost packag-
es and a host of administrative tasks
which are necessary to get a product
from its listing online to the doorstep
of the customer. There is also the cost
of postage and packing that the real
world retailer simply doesn’t have to
concern itself with.
“The unique value that the so-
called ‘bricks and mortar’ enti-
ties add hasn’t changed. What
has is the level of competition
they face.” – Derek Engelbrecht
What you’ll need
Mulaudzi explains what Massmart
looks for in graduate placements:
“The types of qualifications are di-
verse. They include BCom degrees in:
business science, accounting, finance,
business administration. In addition to
these, there is also a requirement for
marketing, retail management, logis-
tics/supply chain, and IT roles.”
His view is backed by Cindie McIn-
tyre, recruitment manager at Mr Price,
who immediately dispels the ‘shop-
per’s perception’ of retail operations.
“The Mr Price Group is not only about
our stores that you see in the malls!
We offer various other careers paths,
which depend on a wide cross-section
of graduate skills.”
Engelbrecht’s comment is significant
because he is confirming the validity
of the expansion plans into Africa of
many of South Africa’s leading retail-
ers. Shoprite Checkers, for example,
has stores in 17 African countries.
Woolworths is operational in several
neighbouring nations, and since 2002,
has operations in Ghana, as does Mr
Price. Pepkor, the company behind
Pep Stores, is on a major expansion
plan in Nigeria. “Encouragingly, from
a growth perspective, retailers are fo-
cusing on expansion into new areas;
converting informal trade into formal
retail; focusing on growth into the rest
of Africa; diversifying into new service
lines; and boosting operational effi-
ciencies,” Engelbrecht adds.
With African consumers in-
creasing in sophistication, with
rising disposable incomes, and
demand for consumer products
ever increasing, he is in effect
saying the future remains very
bright for retailers.
What about online?
Among the potential challenges faced
by retailers is the rise of Internet shop-
ping. Think these retailers will put
conventional ones out of business? En-
gelbrecht says that’s just not the case.
While mega-retailers like Amazon.
com put real-world stores under some
pressure, plenty of room is left over for
good old fashioned retail, he explains.
“However, the pressure on retailers is
intense. They need to understand and
enhance where and how they add val-
ue to stay in the game. And though the
mega-onlines sell just about everything
that was once the sole preserve of the
conventional store – and, with virtual
goods, a lot more besides – there re-
main real-world advantages that cyber
space cannot match,” he says.
That’s made clearer by the fact that
Ronnie Mulaudzi
from Massmart
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What’s that again?
Retail is the sale of goods and services from individuals or businesses
to the end-user. Retailers are part of an integrated system called
the supply chain. A retailer purchases goods or products in large
quantities from manufacturers directly or through a wholesaler, and
then sells smaller quantities to the consumer for a profit.
(Source: Wikipedia).
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3. Mr Price
More than a qualification, you’ll also
need the right sort of personality and
drive to work in the retail environ-
ment, continues Mulaudzi. “A posi-
tive approach is crucial. Also required
is an attitude of continuous learning,
with a curious, challenging and inno-
vative mindset.”
That’s because retail truly is a people
business. “The retail industry requires
the ability to network successfully and
be diplomatic, to get on well with oth-
ers and work with them.”
Mulaudzi says Massmart places a
premium on EQ, or emotional intelli-
gence, which he says can be explained
as the ability to demonstrate high lev-
els of personal mastery and effectively
navigating organisational nuances.
Getting on board
Smart readers will have gathered that
the law of supply and demand means
retail offers a pretty attractive career
choice. However, anything worth
achieving isn’t easy and that applies to
a career in retail, too.
For one thing, Mulaudzi points out,
you’re not going to automatically start
in head office with a massive salary.
“Retail is not like many other
industries that business gradu-
ates will go into. The best way
to succeed is to start at the
bottom, working in stores. You
must be prepared to do this
and get your hands dirty with a
very practical approach.”
– Ronnie Mulaudzi
He notes that this is very different to,
for example, entering an accounting
firm. “There is no getting away from
this part of your career development.
Retail happens in-store, not at head of-
fice. If you want to get somewhere in
this business, you need solid store-lev-
el experience, and understand that
you will work your way up. This re-
quires dedication.”
Graduates who aren’t prepared to get
into the trenches and get stuck in are
not likely to succeed, says Mulaudzi.
McIntyre agrees, saying passion for
retail is a good characteristic to bring
to the party. “If you’re a go-getter with
a positive attitude, enthusiastic with a
zest for life and adaptable to change
in our fast-paced environment, you’re
likely someone who fits into the Mr
Price culture.”
But how do you get in
the door?
Retail Relate’s Blochlinger says you
should try for an internship. “You can
always do a learnership programme
through an organisation like ours,
which provides the in-house experi-
ence,” she notes. This provides that
‘hands-on’ experience that Mulaudzi
has referenced. It isn’t easy: “It is a
year of struggle, but we find that our
graduates tend to be snapped up,”
she notes.
Informal
Standardisation in all things is very
unlikely in any vertical market. When
it comes to recruitment, there are dis-
tinct differences in approach.
While Mr Price doesn’t have
a formal graduate recruitment
programme, McIntyre says this
particular company has two
ways of bringing young talent
into its business.
The first is internships. “These are of-
fered especially in the Merchandise
Buying and Planning areas of the busi-
ness. Students come into the company
for a period of about three weeks. You
are given ‘mini projects’ to complete,
while working alongside actual buyers
and planners. It’s a great opportunity to
Consumer
confidence
Consumer confidence is a
measure of how consumers feel
about the economy. Consumer
confidence in South Africa is at a
nine-year low, prompting FNB to
say in a statement: “The growth in
consumer spending is expected
to be subdued and much less
supportive of economic growth
in 2013.”
SURF
SUN,
& FUN WHILE
YOU WORK
in one of South Africa’s
largest and fastest
growing retailers!
Not only does the Mr Price Group Ltd have nearly
1000 stores across Southern Africa, but we’re
operating internationally as well and growing fast!
clothing, footwear, accessories, sportswear
and homewares, we are constantly striving
to enrich the lives of our customers and
empower the lives of our associates.
Based in Durban, where it’s pretty much
summer all-year round, wouldn’t you like an
opportunity to work in the ever-expanding,
ever-evolving world of fashion, homeware and
sports retail?
It’s where ordinary people are doing
extraordinary things…
Visit www.mrpricegroup.com
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4. experience what the Mr Price Group is
all about – and if we could one day be
an employer of choice for you.”
The other route into Mr Price is
through trainee vacancies, which
McIntyre says are actual permanent
roles in the business, and which are
offered to graduates fresh out of var-
sity. “The Mr Price Group philosophy
is ‘hire for attitude and train for skill’.
So basically, we recruit graduates who
have a passion for what they have
studied, we offer them a permanent
role in the business, and they then be-
come a fully-fledged employee.”
And formal
By contrast, Massmart’s Mulaudzi says
the group has a more formal approach:
“Very much so. We have a very active
graduate recruitment programme, giv-
ing presentations at over 10 universi-
ties. A big part of this is taking stands
at general career fairs and at more spe-
cific career fairs. We primarily target
the business sciences – business sci-
ence, accounting, finance, IT, supply
chain/logistics and business admin.”
In addition, he says, Massmart has a
fully fledged in-house corporate uni-
versity, with the main programmes in-
cluding leadership and management.
“Recruits are given various learning
and development opportunities over
the course of one year. That includes
a retail theory course, with leading
retail experts doing the lecturing, and
various small projects and written as-
signments. After that, you’re deployed
into business units for the practical ex-
perience and training.”
But while Mr Price doesn’t
have a formal graduate recruit-
ment programme, it most defi-
nitely has an in-house training
capability.
“We have what is known as the Red
Cap Academy – a team of dedicated
learning and development specialists
who strive to provide innovative and
current training to all Mr Price em-
ployees, from store-level to senior-lev-
el,” says McIntyre.
Career paths tend to match these
qualifications and streams, Mulaudzi
says. “There is generally a tight link
between the person’s course of study
and their career path.” And while your
start in retail may not be glamorous,
it most certainly can result in a very
glamorous outcome.
Some of South Africa’s most
respected businesspeople come
from the retail environment,
including the likes of Shoprite
Checkers’ Whitey Basson and
Christo Wiese; Boardmans’
Tom Boardman; and the man
who started Pick n Pay, of
course.
“Remember that Raymond Ackerman
is an icon in South Africa and he’s a re-
tailer. There are many, many opportu-
nities for you if you just think outside
the box,” says Blochlinger. “Talk to the
managers, make yourself available to
assist. The opportunities are there as
long as you are prepared to start at
the bottom and work your way up. My
advice to graduates is don’t wait! The
tragedy today is that many of those I
have interviewed dither, rather than
making it happen. With retail, you
cannot wait.”
More than that, she says, retail is a
great place to start and get experi-
ence, even if it doesn’t end up being a
lifelong career. “You can use the work
experience gained in this environment
in many other fields of work.”
Retail’s big boys
• Massmart (Wal-Mart subsidiary
with brands including Game,
Makro, Builders’ Warehouse
and CBW) – employs 31 000
people, annual turnover of
R61 bn
•Mr Price Group – employs
18 000 people, annual turnover
of R11 bn
• Pick n Pay – employs 42 000
people, annual turnover of
R55 bn
• Shoprite Holdings – employs
100 000 people, annual
turnover of R82 bn
• Spar Group – employs 20 000
people, annual turnover
R38.5 bn
UJ graduate Anita-Joy
Mlonyeni says time in
the front lines is ex-
actly what you’ll ex-
perience in the retail
environment.
“Joining Massmart started with attend-
ing a career day on campus during my
honours year. I applied for an intern-
ship and, after looking at my qualifi-
cations, aptitude and personality tests,
they pretty much hunted me down.”
Her BCom accounts degree, and hon-
ours in financial management, isn’t
the end of Mlonyeni’s studies: she is
working towards her CA.
Joining Massmart has resulted in
things moving quickly. “It started with
six months of retail training, then six
months of work experience. That’s crit-
ical, because you get exposed to a lot
of areas in the business and realise the
operation is very close-knit.”
During the training, Mlonyeni says
your direction is determined depend-
ing on the elements of your personali-
ty and abilities that shine through.
“You might become a buyer
or an administrator. In my
case, the person I trained with
believed I had more of a knack
for buyer – so that’s what I
am today, a junior buyer for
Makro.” – Anita-Joy Mlonyeni
In this role, Mlonyeni says she de-
cides what customers want to buy and
sources the goods from suppliers.
Although she has only been with the
company for just over a year – and
having completed her training just two
months ago – she says it already feels
like she is making a difference.
“My role is national, and while I re-
port to and work with a senior buyer, I
make decisions that have an impact.”
“While retail isn’t really something
many people think about in varsi-
ty and it isn’t glamorous, it’s a great
choice for me. Already I can see that
there are lots of opportunities.”
retail
therapy
retail
therapy
Anita-Joy Mlonyeni
COMPANY LISTING
• Massmart
www.massmart.co.za
• Pick n Pay www.picknpay.co.za
• Mr Price
www.mrpricegroup.com
• Shoprite Holdings
www.shopriteholdings.co.za
• Spar Group www.spar.co.za
• Woolworths
www.woolworths.co.za
• Clicks www.clicks.co.za
GRAD@WORK
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