Retailers News South Africa

Moving up and onwards for Metro Namibia

Metro Namibia, purchased by Botswana Stock Exchange listed Sefalana Group, in 2014, will relaunch its brand identity in its 12 stores with new exterior signage, revamped branding, a renewed commitment to its existing customers and a warm welcome to the public. Each of the stores has or is in the process of renewing exterior signage, which will still feature the famous Metro Namibia oval, with a fresh new look and feel.
Moving up and onwards for Metro Namibia

Sefalana has a diverse portfolio that includes fast moving consumer goods, property, vehicle dealerships, sales of agriculture and construction equipment and a sizeable plant, manufacturing grain based products, soaps and detergents. In Botswana, it has 25 cash and carry stores, 20 retail supermarket stores and 3 hyper stores, with over 2 200 employees.

With its investment into the Namibian economy through Metro Namibia, Sefalana has shown commitment to the country. There has been a significant contribution to the job market, as all existing Metro staff were retained after the takeover. Additional staff have also been employed, with the creation of a number of senior positions filled by local Namibian citizens. This trend is expected to continue if the group is able to expand its footprint across Namibia. In addition, because Metro Namibia caters for traders, there is strong support of small business in the country.

Sefalana provides a strong and established infrastructure for Metro Namibia and has the added benefit of being a member of voluntary trading organisation Unitrade Management Services (UMS). UMS is based in Johannesburg and provides a multitude of services to Sefalana and Metro Namibia, including bulk buying, marketing and branding, finance and IT, sales and operational support and training. UMS has an entrepreneurial culture and is committed to serving its communities via its member stores.

To celebrate Metro Namibia's new journey and store upgrades, the group is running a special 18-day promotion with excellent pricing on a wide range of products. The promotion starts on 25 March 2015 and finishes on 11 April 2015, at all 12 stores across Namibia.

"We offer personal service, carry customised ranges in each store that suit specific areas and are flexible when it comes to meeting our customer's requirements. If a customer needs a specific product, we will do our utmost to get it in stock for them," says Bryan Davis, MD of Metro Namibia. "Very importantly, the public is warmly welcomed to shop at any our stores."

Metro Namibia's stores are located in Keetmanshoop, Mariental, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Windhoek, Gobabis, Otjiwarongo, Tsumeb, Oshakati, Ondangwa, Rundu, and Katima Mulilo.

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