South Africa’s largest retailer, Shoprite, has announced the acquisition of the beloved coffee chain Vida e Caffè, further cementing its dominance in the local market.
The deal, which also includes the purchase of R&A Cellular, was revealed in the group’s annual results for the 2026 financial year.
According to BusinessTech, the coffee chain has established itself as South Africa’s leading coffee brand, and is expected to boost the group’s platform for future growth and customer engagement.
Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht said that Vida e Caffè’s ‘broad and demographically diverse customer base’ and its range of store formats, including high street, forecourt, drive-thru, corporate office and retail locations, make it a valuable addition.
Vida e Caffè, which recently opened its 400th store in Cape Town (BusinessTech), has grown from a single neighbourhood coffee shop into an international brand with locations in Ghana, Mauritius, Zambia, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.
The company, which started in 2001, drew inspiration from the street cafés of Portugal, infusing those stylings with African energy. The name Vida e Caffè means ‘coffee and life’ in Portuguese.
The brand has undergone significant growth in recent years, including the acquisition of the healthy restaurant chain Sweetbeet in 2021, which has locations in the Western Cape and Gauteng.
It has also partnered extensively with other companies, including offering complimentary coffee for Lift Airline customers and installing Vida coffee bars in SPARs and Exclusive Books stores.
The brand also offers forecourt services, corporate partnerships, food trucks and drive-thru coffee locations, and sells its goods on Uber Eats and Mr D, as well as through its own app.
The acquisition comes as Shoprite reports a strong financial performance, with earnings growing in the 2026 financial year. The group reported a 7.1% increase in revenue to R274.8 billion, up from R256.6 billion at the end of the 2025 financial year.
The growth in revenue and sales led to a 12.2% increase in headline earnings per share, which were reported at R15.27.
Shoprite’s Checkers Sixty60 operations recorded a remarkable 34.5% increase in sales, reporting R25.5 billion in sales in the 2026 financial year.
The grocery delivery service launched at the end of 2019 in select areas, such as Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Beyond its large operations, the company has expanded into new brands, including Petshop Science, Checkers Outdoor, Little Me, and Uniq Clothing.
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Picture: Vida e Caffè
