Ackerman founded the Pick n Pay Group, a supermarket chain with over 1000 stores in South Africa, Zimbabwe and other Southern African states. Revenues of the publicly traded group are expected to reach $7.0 billion in the year through February 2014.
He built a strong reputation as a consumer champion, fighting supplier cartels in bread, petrol, cigarettes and many other industries. The Ackerman Family Educational Trust supports university education for hundreds of students and aids the mentally and physically disabled.
His grandfather, Meyer Ackerman moved to South Africa from Europe at the end of the 19th century. His son Gus Ackerman, with two friends, opened the first chain store in South Africa 'Ackermans', which still operates today.
Maponya, 'the father of black retail' in South Africa, is an entrepreneur and property developer who, over the years, has established a substantial business empire in the Johannesburg suburb of Soweto.
Though he trained as a teacher, his first job was as a stock taker at a clothing retail store in the Johannesburg central business district. He started in the clothing retail business, but had to move on. as the apartheid authorities closed it down. Using the money he had saved from the short-lived business, Maponya, together with his wife Marina, opened a dairy products shop and delivery service in Soweto that employed 100 bicycle deliverymen. The dairy business soon expanded, becoming a general provisions store. In time, he ventured into other parts of Soweto, exploring business ventures in sectors as varied as the motor, construction, retail and service industries. His empire grew to include a car-rental agency, horse-racing stables and stud farm, funeral parlour and business services division. One of his most recent accomplishments was the development of the R450-million Maponya Mall in Soweto - one of the largest in the country.
For more information, go to www.worldretailcongressafrica.com.
