Cape Town - Listed South African food retailer Shoprite Holdings has opened its first retail outlets in Ghana, the group announced on Monday.

Shoprite is the largest retailer on the African continent with operations in 14 different countries and an annual turnover of over R22bn. It also plans to open outlets in India in the near future.

Shoprite's Marketing Director Brian Weyers said the three world-class Usave supermarkets started trading in October 2003 and were situated in Newtown in the capital city of Accra, the industrial neighbourhood Tema Casino on the outskirts of the capital, and in the city of Takoradi - 300 kilometres away.

The company had also launched a distribution centre in Temba Harbour, supplying a wide range of South African products at the lowest prices wholesale, and it also planned to open a Shoprite-branded store in Ghana in June 2004. Consumers had praised the customer-friendly layout of the stores, the low prices and the wide range of quality products.

Shoprite's entry into this market was in step with Ghanaian president John Kufuor's call for international businesses to invest in this peaceful nation in the heart of West Africa, observed Weyers.

At the same time, approximately 98% of the employees in the retail outlets were Ghanaian citizens.

"We know that most people want good value just as much as great prices, therefore over 600 top brands have been sourced through bulk purchases directly from manufacturers," he added.