Jw basson biography

Shining South African role model manages ‘by embarrassment’

In December 2010, a host of accolades was encapsulated in the conferment by Stellenbosch University on Whitey Basson of the degree Doctor in Commerce (DComm) honoris causa. The degree recognised Basson’s outstanding leadership qualities; his excellent achievements as a business leader and job creator; and his continued support of and investment in the development of human potential in the disadvantaged sectors of society.

He retired at the end of 2016, bringing to a close a remarkable career of nearly 45 years, virtually all of which was spent with the group.

It was a period during which he was largely responsible for the business growing from a small eight-store chain with a value of R1 million to a globally admired retailer with a market capitalisation of R114 billion and more than 140 000 employees today.

It is a measure of his highly positive impact on the South African business scene that there is not a single re

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Whitey Basson, remarkable business leader, is often hailed as a 'genius' by his peers. Basson became a legend when, in the most famous takeover deal in SA, he bought OK Bazaars for the nominal sum of a single Rand. In this authorised biography, the award-winning financial journalist Niel Joubert pieces together the complex, fascinating story of how Basson grew Shoprite from eight small stores valued at R1 million into the largest retailer in Africa, and the 35th largest retailer in the world. Based on years of research, including many hours spent with Basson, Joubert traces his life in colourful detail, from a Porterville farm, to Pep Stores, to where he sets out to apply the 'Pep formula' to the unforgiving world of food. Starting from a small office filled with boxes, Basson built Shprite via growth and acquisitions, swallowing Grand Bazaars, Checkers, and others before the famous OK Bazaars deal, and finally reaching his lifelong target of eclipsing Pick n Pay.

CONTRIBUTORS: N

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Whitey Basson

South African businessman

James Wellwood "Whitey" Basson (born 8 January 1946) is a South African businessman and billionaire who was largely responsible for growing a small business called Shoprite from an 8-store chain valued at R1 million^[2] into an international retail conglomerat with revenue in 2019 of R150 billion, market capitalisation of R114 billion, more than 2 300 stores and 140 000 employees across 15 African countries.^[3] Deloitte's Global Powers of Retailing 2019 ranked The Shoprite Group as the 86th largest retailer in the world.^[4]

Basson retired as the managing director and ledare Executive of Shoprite Holdings Ltd on 31 månad 2016.^[5]

Early life

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Basson was born on 8 January 1946 on the family farm Dasbosch in the Porterville, Western Cape district to Jack and Maude Basson. He was one of three children.^[1]

When asked in an interview with Bruce Whitfiel