Mmegi

What Sefalana’s results tell us about the economy

Feeling the pinch: Sefalana is noting the effects of the economic contraction on its customers
Feeling the pinch: Sefalana is noting the effects of the economic contraction on its customers

The country’s largest grocer by revenue and balance sheet has recorded an erosion in profit margins, driven primarily by a sharp slowdown in consumer spending and mounting household pressures. The trend points to deeper, structural weaknesses in the economy, with potential spillover effects across multiple sectors, writes TIMOTHY LEWANIKA

Beneath all the economic jargon on cash crunches, soft GDP figures and liquidity crunches are consumers bearing the brunt at the margins of society as disposable incomes continue to shrink leaving families struggling to make ends meet.

On one frontier, Sefalana latest results show how households are facing increasing pressures particularly from food inflation coupled with low disposable incomes that face erosion from growing inflation.

Editor's Comment
Warm relations must not come at the expense of fair trade

“I believe that free but fair trade isan absolute imperative”– John E. JamesFor two countries bound by geography, history and deep economic ties, periods of diplomatic strain serve neither side well. President Duma Boko’s efforts to restore momentum to relations with Pretoria deserve recognition, particularly at a time when Southern Africa faces shared challenges ranging from sluggish economic growth and unemployment to energy security...

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