Phokeng Choppies will be the seventh of the group in South Africa. Choppies has targeted mainly Setswana and Sepedi speaking South African provinces of the North West and Limpopo.

In the interview conducted on the sidelines of the official opening of a Choppies outlet in Pitsane last weekend, Faruk said the group would open five new stores across Botswana, in Serowe, Tonota, Francistown, Tsabong and Tutume next year.

Each store will cost P6 million in equipment, excluding the cost of the business premises. Faruk said any suggestion that the Choppies Group is more interested in generating profit than in meeting the ever-changing market trends was a fallacy belied by its programme to open more outlets throughout the country in the next few months.

Choppies Pitsane, where P12 million has been spent on equipment, fixtures and fittings, has created 65 jobs for Batswana. "I am pleased when I see that services are brought closer to people, especially in the remote areas," Faruk said.

The Chief Executive Officer Choppies Group, Ranachnadran Ottappath, said the company spent P7 million to set up the building for Choppies Pitsane.

A Barclays Bank kiosk inside the store offers an array of banking services, making Choppies Pitsane, a one-stop-service store, an important factor considering that the people of Pitsane and surrounding communities have had to travel long distances for basic services.

Speaking at the same occasion, Kgosi Letlaamoreng II said the opening of a Choppies store in Pitsane would benefit the whole of Borolong by obviating the need for people to travel long distances to reach goods and services at affordable prices.

The presence of the store had the potential to transform the socio-economic prospects of Barolong.

"This will ignite the passion of farmers and suppliers to diversify the economy through the provision of services and goods to the chain store," Kgosi Lotlaamoreng said.

The Kgosi encouraged the people of Pitsane and surrounding areas to use the goods and services Choppies was bringing to their doorstep.