Shoprite has completed the acquisition of R&A Cellular, securing an initial 51% stake. This company provides point-of-sale devices used in spaza shops and informal trading points across South Africa.
According to Shoprite Holdings' financial reports for the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2026, the deal took effect on August 14, 2026. The closing date and stake size were reported as new information on Tuesday.
When the deal was announced in March, Shoprite only mentioned acquiring a controlling stake without specifying timelines. Financial terms remain confidential, and the group notes that the preliminary accounting for the business combination is not yet complete, making it impossible to determine the purchase price or quantify the financial impact of the acquisition.
Three areas of development
Group CEO Peter Engelbrecht characterized R&A Cellular as a 'relatively small' company that does not meet JSE listing requirements. This means its size does not exceed the exchange's threshold values, considering Shoprite's massive scale.
More important than the price is the group's first public statement regarding intentions for this platform. Engelbrecht outlined three strategic steps: expanding the national base of R&A Cellular devices among informal retailers; increasing the range of additional services provided by these devices; and integrating Shoprite's own financial products into the R&A Cellular ecosystem.
The third point is cited as the most significant. The business of money markets, prepaid money transfers, and transaction accounts—through which Shoprite offers financial services to clients with limited access to banking services—was previously conducted through the group's own network of 2,839 supermarkets in RSA at year-end. The R&A Cellular device network allows these products to be placed in stores that Shoprite does not own and will never build.
R&A Cellular is a private company based in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, founded and led by CEO Rui Campos. The company supplies point-of-sale equipment and a service platform via terminals to spaza shops, convenience stores, and informal traders who are part of the DesertPOS trader portal.
One terminal allows a trader to accept card payments, contactless payments, and digital wallet payments when selling prepaid airtime, data, electricity, gaming, and lottery products. The devices support offline mode, synchronizing transactions after connectivity is restored—a crucial feature in the market they serve. The company also wholesales prepaid products to other distributors who sell them through their networks.
Prior to the deal, Shoprite vouchers were already being sold through R&A Cellular devices, which prompted the merger of the two companies. The competition for informal retail terminals in South Africa is one of the most active areas in domestic payments. According to Trade Intelligence, informal FMCG retail in South Africa amounts to between 184 and 197 billion Rand annually, distributed across approximately 100,000 to 150,000 points, depending on the calculation methodology, and remains predominantly cash-based.