For Mariza Nel, Head of Communication at Steinhoff, operating successfully in Africa requires a lot of flexibility and no unnecessary frills. “Retailers have to have a very simpleproduct range that has limited fashion in it for a long shelf life. If you compare Zara or H&M, they frequently need to change products. In Africa, that is very difficult.” Slow and expensive logistics, lack of land for new stores and wildly fluctuating currencies also have hampered growth, whist rising inflation...
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