South African Billionaire Christo Wiese-backed Shoprite Rewards Investors With 91.5 Million Payout

Shoprite Holdings, Africa's largest retailer and partly owned by South African billionaire Christo Wiese, has declared an interim dividend of 91.1 million following a strong financial performance in the first half of its 2025 fiscal year. The payout reflects the companys commitment to rewarding shareholders while navigating economic pressures.

For the 26 weeks ended Dec. 29, 2024 , Shoprite reported a 9.4 percent increase in revenue to R130.8 billion 7.1 billion, up from R119.5 billion 6.48 billion in the previous year. Merchandise sales grew 9.6 percent to R128.6 billion 6.98 billion, while its South African supermarket unit surpassed R100 billion 5.43 billion in half-year sales for the first time.

Diluted headline earnings per share DHEPS rose 9.9 percent to R6.6 0.358, and the interim dividend per share was set at R2.85 0.155. The total dividend payout of R1.68 billion 91.45 million represents a 6.7 percent increase from the previous year and will be distributed to shareholders on Mar. 31, 2025.

Shoprites ability to sustain growth despite economic challenges stems from its disciplined strategy, focus on volume-driven sales, and investment in digital innovation. The retailer opened a net 283 new stores over the past 12 months, further expanding its presence across Africa. CEO Pieter Engelbrecht highlighted the rollout of a new point-of-sale system across 2,450 stores, a project that required over 60,000 hours of implementation.

With over 3,600 stores and more than 150,000 employees across Africa, Shoprite continues to strengthen its market leadership. Christo Wiese, who holds an 11.5 percent stake in the company, remains a key figure in its expansion. With a net worth of 1.5 billion , Wieses influence has helped drive strategic growth initiatives over the years.