MORE PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE GETTING WOOLWORTHS TO MAKE THEIR TUCKSHOP FOOD
Woolworths is looking to expand its network of tuck shops at schools across South Africa following a positive reception.
Woolworths is South Africa’s largest premium grocery retailer, but the company has been exploring ways to expand its brand presence through new growth initiatives.
One area of focus is tuck shops, with Springfield Convent and Curro Century City in Cape Town having partnered with Woolworths Foods to operate their tuck shops, staffed solely by Woolworths staff.
Springfield Convent in Wynberg was the first partner, opening its Woolworths tuckshop in 2023, which was converted from a shipping container.
In late January 2026, Curro Century City in Cape Town became the second school in the country to offer Woolworths Foods at its tuckshop.
The Curro tuckshop is a cashless facility that enables learners to pay with bank cards or the Karri App, which allows parents to track their child’s spending and plan meals.
While no concrete plans for expanding Woolworths Tuck Shops have been announced since Curro opened, Woolworths CEO Roy Bagattini said they remain part of the group’s growth initiatives.
Bagattini said Woolworths Ventures will look to expand its services at tuck shops, food trucks, and events.
He said that there has been a lot of demand from schools to improve the quality and health of offerings for pupils.
He added that the tuck shop launch was incredibly successful and that the group saw an opportunity to introduce young people to the brand via the tuck shops.
Woolworths Ventures is home to Absolute Pets, WEdits, WCafe, Woolworths Now Now, and the Woolworths tuck shops.
It saw double-digit sales growth in the six months ended 31 December 2025, and is seen as a crucial growth area for the business.
A change of the guard for Woolworths
The expansion of the Woolworths tuck shop will ultimately be overseen by Sam Ngumeni, who is being promoted from Woolworths Food CEO to Group CEO.
Bagattini will step down from his roles as Group CEO with effect from 31 May 2026, but will work closely with Ngumeni to ensure a smooth handover. Ngumeni will take over the top job from 1 June 2026.
Ngumeni has close to 30 years of experience and has held several senior roles at the group, including serving as an executive director of Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL) since 2014.
He has worked as Group Chief Operating Officer, Group Director: HR & Transformation, and as the CEO of Woolworths Financial Services.
He is also a member of the WHL’s Risk, Information and Technology Committee, the Sustainability Committee, and the Social and Ethics Committee.
He already serves on the boards of the group’s large subsidiaries, being Woolworths (Pty) Ltd and Country Road Group (Pty) Ltd.
Ngumeni may also be able to claim a R100 million bonus following the group’s announcement of a special, once-off outperformance share award.
One target for Ngumeni is to increase the group’s share price from its current range of around R50 to R100 by 2031.
Given that the share award has close to 1 million shares, he would receive shares worth roughly R100 million if he hit his targets.
SOURCED FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES
