How a Township Pick n Pay Franchisee Lost Everything
Meet Irish Modisane.
In 2009, Irish became part of a programme intended to bring more black South Africans into the formal economy through franchise ownership.
He took over a Score Supermarket in Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga. The store was reportedly in a poor condition at the time, but the promise was simple: build a successful business, create jobs, and help expand retail access in township communities.
For many South Africans, this is exactly what economic transformation was supposed to look like.
But according to Modisane, things did not turn out that way.
He alleges that township stores operated under very different conditions from stores in affluent areas. Customers bought more basic necessities and fewer high-margin luxury products, making profitability more difficult from the outset.
Modisane further alleges that unsuitable stock was frequently allocated to township stores, creating cash flow pressure and making it difficult to clear inventory before new stock arrived.
As debts accumulated, he says franchisees were required to enter into variation agreements that added interest charges to outstanding balances.
According to Modisane, Pick n Pay eventually took direct control of the Siyabuswa store. He alleges that head office personnel were brought in to run operations and that he was effectively excluded from the business he had built.
He claims that while the store continued trading, debts continued to accumulate in his name, leaving him in an increasingly impossible financial position.
Ultimately, the franchise was lost.
Today, the man who once operated a major retail store in Siyabuswa reportedly earns a living through recycling, he has not lost alone but an additional 100 plus people lost jobs under him
Modisaneโs story raises uncomfortable questions now
โข What protections exist for franchisees when disputes arise?
โข Are township stores evaluated differently from stores in wealthier areas?
โข How should debt restructuring be handled between large corporations and small operators?
โข Did South Africaโs transformation programmes create lasting ownership, or simply temporary participation?
These are questions that deserve answers.
#BoycottBoxerStores #BoycottPicknPay @BoxerStores@Springboks
@eNCA Guys don't be unfair to this woman. She has been vocal particularly in the health sector in Limpopo. She was even taken to the HPCSA for discipline for confronting a patient and telling it as it is to Mnangagwa. Next few weeks after Cilili was in Zim ukobhula umlilo.
The late Rofhiwa (Fifi) Madima ๐๏ธwas a Project Manager for Digital Transformation at Cardinal Insurance Management Systems, remembered as a treasured colleague with a joyful spirit. Tragically she was shot and killed in Venda, Limpopo, in March 2025.
Reports indicated she had previously obtained a protection order against an ex-boyfriend, who had allegedly threatened to hire hitmen to kill her.
๐งต ๐๐ฟ๐จ