The toils of citizen entrepreneurship

Friday, February 20, 2026 | 980 Views |

Pushing on: Moshoke PIC MORERI SEJAKGOMO

Elliot Moshoke says his Acute Global Group has written off Payless as an investment and is moving on, after pumping in more than P40 million on the venture. The entrepreneur tells MBONGENI MGUNI & PAULINE DIKUELO that significant barriers exist in the retail space

At some point in 2022, hopes were bright that Payless would usher in a new crop of citizen entrepreneurs in the cut-throat retail sector.

Citizen-owned Ellis Retail, itself owned by Acute Global Limited, had finally sealed the takeover of Payless, the struggling Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) chain which was saddled with debt and on the brink of collapse.

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