New Choppies outlet to create 80 jobs

Chakalisa Dube | Thursday October 31, 2013 15:41

 

The store will operate at Ngilichi House, which used to house Meriting Spar. Meriting Spar closed on 20 October amid talk that the owner had diverted his attention to property management and development. It was further alleged that the store closed due to financial problems.

Choppies Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramchandran Ottapath confirmed yesterday in an interview that the store will create jobs for 80 individuals at all levels.

“I am however not certain when exactly the store will open because we are still working on getting a trading licence. We are also finalising a few provisions with government organisations that would allow us to operate the store,” he said. He said that details about the opening of the store will be communicated in due course.

Ottapath also said that he is yet to establish the cost of stock and other logistics required for the store to operate.

“I will have consolidated figures (money) on everything required for the store to operate in the next few days,” he said.

For more than a month, Choppies officials have remained tight-lipped about reports that they were planning to open a new store in the city. Early this week, Choppies began branding Meriting Spar’s former base.

Mmegi is reliably informed that Choppies will absorb almost all former workers of Meriting Spar. Choppies human resource officers are said to be training the workers.

“I cannot say that we have absorbed them or not. We are always looking for people to work for us. If they are suitable to work for us, then they can come and work for us provided we have space for them,” Ottapath said.

The store at Ngilichi House will be Choppies’s third in the city. It has a presence at Loja Mall and Blue Street Shopping Centre.

Choppies, which is listed on the domestic bourse, currently has over 50 stores in Botswana. It also has outlets in neighbouring South Africa.

Choppies has created employment for over 3,000 workers in Botswana.