"Yet another fantastic year for Sefalana," directors said on Wednesday in a commentary accompanying the group's results for the year ended 30 April 2013."The group achieved its best result ever last year for the period ended 30 April 2012 and despite all the challenges in Botswana due to cut-backs in government and consumer spending, general decline in the world economies and difficult economic times, Sefalana has yet again performed above expectations and has far exceeded last year's results".For the year, revenues were up 12 percent to P2.4 billion, profit for the year up 38 percent to P120.2 million and basic earnings per share up 35 percent to 61.5 thebe. The results come as Sefalana stretches its lead as the Botswana Stock Exchange's biggest gainer of the year thus far, having put on 61 percent as at Wednesday as investors bought into the promise of a strong performance.
Sefalana directors said the counter was trading at a "significant discount", adding that "this set of results and the prospects for the coming years will see an enhanced demand for our stock demand, thereby further increasing shareholder value". In their commentary, directors said anchoring the results was strong growth in the group's retail operations, which contributed 86 and 59 percent of the group's revenue and profit before tax respectively for the year.The group's retail operations are clustered under Sefcash and comprise Sefalana Hyper and Sefalana Cash and Carry stores as well as the fast-growing Shoppers' brand of consumer goods stores. According to its results, revenues in the "trading consumer goods" segment rose seven percent year on year to P2.01 billion.
