Shoprite buys Vida e Caffè

Shoprite made two major acquisitions over the past month, including South Africa’s biggest coffee chain, Vida e Caffè.

With this purchase, Shoprite snapped up Vida’s 400 corporate and franchise stores nationwide, expanding the retailer’s presence in the coffee and quick service restaurant (QSR) category.

This was announced in Shoprite’s results for the 52 weeks ended 28 June 2026, which were released on Tuesday, 1 September.

The other acquisition Shoprite made in this period was an initial majority shareholding of the South African technology and payments company, R&A Cellular.

This acquisition was made post-financial year-end, on 14 August 2026, and has given Shoprite a 51% stake in R&A Cellular.

R&A Cellular’s device network enables informal and semi-formal micro-retailers to deliver convenient, high‑frequency financial services access points for essential everyday services. 

Shoprite said the acquisition forms part of its financial services growth strategy and will enable the meaningful scaling of the R&A Cellular platform.

R&A Cellular will allow Shoprite to expand its installed device base nationally across informal retailers, embedding the use of the retailer’s financial services products within the R&A Cellular ecosystem. 

“These initiatives are expected to drive growth, deepen customer engagement, and extend the group’s financial services reach into the informal sector,” Shoprite said.

In addition to R&A Cellular, Shoprite acquired a 100% stake in Vida e Caffè, South Africa’s biggest coffee chain.

The deal was signed on 20 August 2026 and comprises Vida’s South African and non-South African operations.

Vida was founded in 2001 by two friends, Rui Esteves and Brad Armitage, who were inspired by European coffee culture.

Esteves and Armitage opened the first Vida e Caffè store on Kloof Street in Cape Town and began expanding shortly thereafter.

By the time they opened their third store in Cavendish Square in Cape Town, Grant Dutton had joined the company as a 40% joint-venture partner.

After helping the business grow from three stores to seven, Dutton and his investment partners bought Vida from Esteves and Armitage in 2006.

Since then, Vida’s store base has expanded significantly, now boasting 400 corporate and franchise stores in Africa.

This makes it not only South Africa’s biggest chain but the largest on the continent.

Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht said Vida has a broad and demographically diverse customer base that is supported by a range of store formats.

This includes high street, forecourt, drive-thru, corporate office and retail locations, as well as an increasingly integrated digital offering.

“This combination provides a strong platform for future growth and customer engagement. Authentic, innovative and highly relevant to evolving consumer lifestyles,” Engelbrecht said.

“Vida is a business we greatly admire, and we look forward to learning from its success while supporting its next phase of growth.” 

Shoprite said its acquisition of Vida is expected to strengthen the group’s presence in the QSR industry and complement its existing operations.

The retailer currently operates in the QSR industry through in-store brand partnerships, private coffee and food-service labels, and B2B catering services, but does not operate stand-alone food chains.

Shoprite’s share purchase agreement for Vida was executed in August 2026, and the transaction remains subject to the fulfilment of regulatory conditions.

Shoprite expects the transaction to become effective in its 2027 financial year.