Sefalana Adds 350 Jobs, Pledges 600 More

Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday August 31, 2020 14:35

Sefalana Group MD chandra Chauhan and guests look on as Bakwena Kgosi, Kgari Sechele cuts the cake to mark the official opening of Shoppers Molepolole PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

Speaking at the re-opening of the revamped Molepolole Shopper store, which sits on a 1,800-square metre land, Sefalana Group’s managing director, Chandra Chauhan said he had pledged to create 600 jobs this year in support of President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s drive for job creation.

However, the group only managed to create 350 new jobs during challenging times of depressed sales, lockdowns and no liquor trade.

Chauhan described the revamped Molepolole store, which has hired 60 employees, as one of the biggest in the country by size and quality offering, second only to Sefalana Shopper Setlhoa along the A1, which occupies 3,000 square metres.

The Setlhoa shopping centre, just like the Molepolole one, is a Sefalana exclusive area with a filling station and a convenient shop.

The Molepolole giant shop is also scheduled to have a filling station nearby which is currently under construction.

Chauhan said the 350 jobs are being created through a new Sefalana Liquor outlet that opened at Tlokweng Stadium Complex recently, as well as new shopper openings at Metsimotlhabe, Shakawe, Sebina, and Ramotswa, all scheduled to open in the coming months. Chauhan said despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, his group of companies has not laid off a single employee or cut salaries of their workers, adding that instead, they decided to increase their employees’ pay at the end of July. “I can [now] confidently assure President Mokgweetsi Masisi that next year we will add 600 more jobs in the economy,” Chauhan promised.

The group currently employs over 4,000 workers.

“Sefalana is a truly Botswana company, with 93% of shareholding in Batswana’s hands. We pay over 50% of our profits to shareholders, which include various pension funds and main pension funds like the BPOPF, Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund.”

Meanwhile, the group announced early this month that in April 2020 they entered into an agreement to purchase 40% of the share capital of Australian retailer, Seasons Group, a chain store of seven supermarkets in the Brisbane area.

Sefalana Group also has 40% stake in Grow Mine, a citizen-owned company that recently won the bid to operate Botswana’s first national lottery.