Debbie Cunningham, Shoprite Group

It’s a familiar refrain: retailers in South Africa are facing the challenges of an economy under pressure, which is affecting their bottom lines. It’s thought that real GDP growth will not even make it a single percentage point in 2024. There’s also the fact that Amazon, with its deep pockets, has now entered the local market, not to mention Shein and Temu. As ever, it’s said that technology can help businesses improve their profitability. On the bright side, loadshedding seems to have receded, for now, but many retailers have already sunk significant sums into protecting themselves against power failures. Brainstorm and Liquid Intelligent Technologies sat down with the country’s retail leaders to hear their concerns.

Brainstorm: What are your chief concerns?