In collaboration with TCB, PEP is committed to creating positive change through sustainable business practices and community support.
Today, PEP Africa operates a structured mobile pop-up store model that brings retail directly to under-served areas.
South Africa’s informal economy is a significant, yet often overlooked, driver of the nation’s GDP, contributing an estimated R750 billion annually.
Textile manufacturing relies heavily on steam. Pressing and finishing processes need steady, dry steam to shape garments, remove creases and set fabric.
The move to eliminate Styrofoam was made possible through a collaborative effort between PPL and TsAfrica, the catering partner serving both sites.
PEP understands that operating South Africa’s largest retail network entails the responsibility to make choices that balance customer needs, business efficiency and environmental impact.
In the fast-paced world of tech retail where innovation is often judged by what’s inside the box, few would expect the humble shopping bag to spark meaningful change.
A key initiative is its structured recycling programme for paper and cardboard packaging, delivering measurable environmental benefits.
In many South African homes, the story of clothing doesn’t end with its first owner. A school shirt is carefully ironed and packed away for a younger brother.
Denim has long outlived trends. Durable, versatile and universally worn, it effortlessly crosses seasons, age groups and price points.
For Pepkor Lifestyle, the conversation is no longer about if, but how. The business is actively testing, integrating and refining AI capabilities.
Thousands of containers packed with fresh fruit leave South Africa’s ports every year for global markets. Over 200 000 refrigerated containers are used annually.
At PepClo, change doesn’t always come with fanfare. Sometimes, it comes with silence.
To comply with the TCFD requirement to use climate-related scenarios in planning and to inform Pepkor’s climate response. Pepkor faced several challenges in applying scenario planning to climate action.
South Africa’s clothing, textile, footwear and leather industries have long been identified as engines for inclusive growth.
In September 2024, Roxane Titus’s entrepreneurial journey reached a key milestone with the launch of Ibhayi Footwear.
The work rests on industry collaboration, with retailers, technical partners and local makers aligning on standards, timelines and shared goals.
Pepkor Speciality’s partnership with the Do More Foundation demonstrated how strategic collaboration can unlock economic resilience in underserved communities.
PEP’s Dynamos in the Southern Division (comprising the Western Cape and Namibia regions) began this initiative by encouraging their remarkable customers to donate sanitary pads at the till.
In 2025, the PEP Academy welcomed 4455 learners across four provinces. This brings the total number of children to 34000 since it started.
In just over a year since its launch, +more rewards, has grown into one of South Africa’s largest digital loyalty programmes.
PEP’s #PepFinds and #PepHomeFinds have reached over 125 million customer views in FY25 across social media platforms.
Understanding the financial burden faced by parents during back-to-school season, PEP and FNB created a promotion that would ease this pressure without compromising on quality.
Abacus Insurance is responding to shifting dynamics in the funeral insurance market with a model grounded in empathy.
AYANA is the latest addition to Pepkor’s fashion portfolio. It’s a brand that brings sophistication, strength and style to the everyday wardrobe.
I celebrate cultural diversity in the workplace by creating an environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and included. Or, in Pimville speak, to light each other’s candle.
PEP’s new national distribution centre in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, is a major project that began over five years ago. It highlights PEP’s dedication to operational excellence and customer service.
This journey began 14 years ago with their father’s vision and a single truck, transitioning from a shopfitter to the founder of a deeply integrated family business within the Pepkor ecosystem.
The Pepkor group has seamlessly woven CSR into its operations, advocating that the prosperity of its business is linked with the welfare of the communities it serves.
With their vision and determination, the leaders at Kelmik are not just building a business – they are creating a legacy highlighting women's critical role in entrepreneurship and community development.
For Pepkor, load shedding curtailment fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation within the community since businesses in the area have to work together to save enough electricity to have power during load shedding.
Capfin distinguishes itself in the often exclusive financial services sector as a dedicated advocate for inclusivity and empowerment. As part of the Pepkor group, known for its value retail offerings.
With its expansive presence, Pepkor acknowledges its unique responsibility to drive positive change and economic opportunity within the communities it serves.
In 2019, the South African Retail Clothing, Textile, Footwear, and Leather (R-CTFL) sectors embarked on a transformative journey known as the ‘Retail Master Plan’.
Hammarsdale serves as home to Pepkor’s distribution centres (DCs) for a number of business units, including Ackermans, PEP and all Speciality brands, such as Dunns, Tekkie Town, CODE, Refinery, S.P.C.C and Shoe City.
The Pepkor group is undertaking a simple yet impactful change through its PEP and Ackermans brands, as well as within its logistics division, Pepkor Logistics (PKL).
In the heart of South Africa's vibrant townships, an initiative is transforming the lives of local communities, brought to life through Pepkor Speciality's Township Economy Project.
Learnerships are structured programmes that afford employees the opportunity to work, gain experience and study towards a recognised qualification.
The logistics involved in ensuring that product ranges from the Pepkor distribution centres are delivered timeously and efficiently across such a large and diverse footprint is a massive undertaking.
After years of robust planning, PEP, the largest single-brand retailer in South Africa, launched PEP mini netball festivals in April 2023 in partnership with South African Schools Netball (SASN).
The recyclable plastic carrier bags were phased in from August 2020, as part of PEP’s conscious decision to remove single-use plastic shopping bags from stores.
The recyclable plastic carrier bags were phased in from August 2020, as part of PEP’s conscious decision to remove single-use plastic shopping bags from stores.
As a group, Pepkor has always strived to maintain the lowest possible cost of doing business to enable retail brands such as PEP to deliver on its customer promise of making the unaffordable, affordable.
When a factory that used to produce on average more than 10 million garments a year was brought to a standstill, management had to find a way to keep our employees economically active.
We believe in giving back to the communities that we serve in ways that have a positive effect on both the communities in which we operate, as well as the environment.
At the group’s clothing manufacturing facility, health and safety (H&S) training is of critical importance. Employees receive ongoing training and development relevant to their job profile and level of responsibility.
For many years, the local clothing manufacturing industry has been battling the influx of cheap imports, which have made it difficult for South African manufacturers to expand their operations.
Our competitive advantage is people. We invest in our people because we truly believe that our people are the most important asset a business can have.
Structured programmes are in place to enable personal growth and career development. Each operating business manages the training and development of their employees based on their strategy and employee priorities.
Pep Clothing (PepClo) employs 2 000 people in South Africa’s largest clothing manufacturing facility (under one roof). Although this is not a high industrial facility, we are very aware of physical and emotional needs.
In South Africa, national lockdown protocols to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a significant blow to the already fragile economy, and the retail sector in particular.
Starting production at the PepClo factory as soon as possible was an imperative to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business and to protect the 1 700 jobs.
Succession planning and development of people is part of the DNA of our business. Hundreds of store managers are promoted each year. This commitment to development extends to all levels of leadership.
Technology, customer behaviour and a globally changing world that was also influenced by COVID-19, fast-tracked the roll-out of e-commerce across the Pepkor Speciality brands. Brands are supported in stores and online.
PEP initiated the flip-flop manufacturing project when it asked PepClo to extend its supplier agreement beyond school clothes and underwear to include the assembly of flip-flops. The PepClo team visited China.
A new production facility has been built to accommodate an extended production line. The 1 300 m2 premises will also house a raw material store for the assembly components.
Moving stock quickly and efficiently is of the utmost importance to our business. The Hammarsdale distribution centre (DC) has optimised the picking and packing of products across seven clothing and footwear brands.
Our intellectual property and extensive retail experience support our ability to manage each step from high-level oversight to introducing new technologies and systems; and from the
Most Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilities in impoverished communities are insufficiently equipped, creating a challenge for educators and learners to fully use this vital period.
The perfect partnership – FLASH ‘makes people’s lives easier’, while Operation Smile saves lives, empowers patients and their families, and enables them to overcome the emotional, social and economic consequences.
While the COVID-19 pandemic wrought havoc on families, the impact of the lockdown on household income was just as severe. and hunger quickly became the biggest issue
Pepkor recognises that small financial donations, large national investments or even a simple warm blanket for winter all have the ability to have an exponential social impact. We act at group level.
Paxi’s purpose is to make it easy for anyone to send and receive parcels anywhere. For Paxi’s 24 000 entrepreneurs they provide a customised solution.
Reggie hlongwane started out selling peanuts and oranges in trains, but soon realised he was destined for greater things. He started his road to success when he opened his first fish and chips shop in 1956.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa set out the vision for a “reimagined industrial strategy” for South Africa.
When products are unpacked and picked for store orders, we need additional cartons to pack products according to orders and store locations. To save on packaging costs, PEP buys preused FMCG cartons.
Brands across the group are making inroads into developing alternative shopping bag solutions. During FY20, PEP and Refinery rolled out their initiatives with great success. Refinery stopped using plastic bags altogether.
Most of the group’s stores are located in shopping centres, where alternative power solutions are not yet an option. To minimise the use of electricity, the best solution currently is to change to LED lighting.
The concept for the store was developed in Cape Town, in association with various industry experts. Because the store is modular and made from repurposed shipping containers, they had to be constructed in Cape Town.
Consistent delivery of value to our customers has resulted in Pepkor’s retail brands winning public trust over many decades. This success is illustrated by the annual awards our brands receive directly from customers.
On the back of customer insights obtained from PEPmoney’s money transfer business, PEP’s PAXI story began in 2015. They identified an opportunity to help their customers.
Pepkor Logistics manages the collection and delivery of parcels packed to order for stores between 10 distribution centres, into three main hubs or directly to secondary hubs and stores. The process is simple.
Although this event happened a decade ago, the story still holds true as evidence of the group’s purpose. PEP has the biggest rural footprint of any clothing retailer in South Africa.
Pepkor’s customers are at the centre of our strategy, and we aim to understand their environment and behavioural trends to best serve their needs and create value.
PAXI connects families, small businesses and corporate enterprises with their customers through the most affordable, safe and convenient parcel service.
SUSTAINABILITY case studies
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