Pieter Engelbrecht

Engelbrecht has been a driving force behind the strategic thinking and decisiveness that characterises the Shoprite Group’s actions and has led it to become Africa’s largest food retailer and low price leader, and South Africa’s largest private sector employer.

His leadership has been characterised by the Group’s relentless focus on innovation which has led to the repositioning of Checkers in the fresh and convenience space, the launch of the Checkers Xtra Savings Rewards programme, the Sixty60 food delivery service and virtual vouchers, among many other innovations.

He successfully steered the Group through the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring job security for the Group's workforce of over 140 000 employees and product availability and a safe shopping environment for the Group’s 24 million customers.

Engelbrecht and his team are focused on implementing the Group’s growth strategy to maintain its lead in discount retail. His key priority is serving customers through a determined focus on lowering prices through an optimised supply chain and world-class operating efficiencies.

His strategy is backed up by his conviction that together we are stronger, and the implementation of a culture of teamwork and accountability, where every employee contributes to taking the Shoprite vision forward and understands that their role is serving customers.

He has positioned the Group as a business with heart, where making profit goes hand in hand with a responsibility to the communities in which it operates.

Engelbrecht is doubling down on the Group’s efforts to alleviate hunger and narrow the inequality gap through job creation, job security, skills development, nurturing small businesses and providing them with access to market.

He is committed to innovating and utilising the Group’s enormous scale to deliver the most affordable retail experience for customers.

Engelbrecht, a chartered accountant, has an Honours in Accounting Science from UNISA and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Stellenbosch University. He gained experience in the auditing and corporate finance divisions of PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1993 to 1995 and was the accounting and operations manager at Harwill Industries until joining Shoprite on 1 April 1997.

Engelbrecht spent 10 years leading the project office, establishing new brands and building many into multi-billion rand businesses. He launched the Money Market financial service counter, USave and LiquorShop, and led the acquisitions of Computicket and Transpharm Pharmaceutical Wholesalers.

He was appointed to the Board of Shoprite Checkers in 2003 and as Alternate Director of Shoprite Holdings and as Chief Operating Officer of Shoprite Checkers in 2005.

As COO, Engelbrecht strived to drive down costs, played a pivotal role in guiding the Group’s expansion and was instrumental in Shoprite attaining its position as the number one retailer in Africa. He was appointed as CEO on 1 January 2017.

Supporting Engelbrecht, is Shoprite Group Deputy CEO, Joseph Brönn who has played a pivotal role in the Group’s growth and development, and his imprint is evident on many of its transformative strategies and innovations