Pick n Pay Springboks sponsorship explained

Pick n Pay’s decision to sponsor the Springboks was motivated by a desire to reinforce the retailer’s reputation as a good corporate citizen and foster a sense of unity within the company as it undergoes an ambitious turnaround.

The new Springbok jersey for 2025, including Pick n Pay’s logo, was officially revealed on Friday, 27 June, and worn by players at the team’s match against the Barbarians the next day.

Pick n Pay’s logo in green and gold caught many South Africans’ attention, as the retailer has become the Springboks’ official grocery retail partner.

Speaking on the reveal of the new jersey, Pick n Pay CEO Sean Summers explained that the retailer has invested in the Springboks to support and grow South African rugby.

“That’s why it’s a proud moment to see the Springbok jersey unveiled with our name on it,” he said. 

“But this is about more than a logo, it’s about the shared spirit of resilience, unity, and pride that rugby inspires across South Africa.” 

“As a household name rooted in South African communities, Pick n Pay is honoured to stand beside the Boks – on the field and in the hearts of millions.”

This partnership was announced in March 2025, when Pick n Pay signed a four-year contract as a Tier 1 sponsor of SA Rugby.

Pick n Pay’s logo on the national team’s training jerseys marked a new departure from SA Rugby’s sponsorship model. 

Historically, the rights to the front of the playing and training jerseys have been the preserve of a single partner.

However, the Springboks’ new official playing jersey features Pick n Pay’s logo on the back, while FNB is prominently displayed on the front. The team’s training jerseys feature the inverse, with Pick n Pay on the front and FNB on the back.

“This is the start of an exciting journey for two iconic South African carriers of national pride – the Springboks and Pick n Pay,” SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said.

“Such a partnership feels a long time overdue, but with Pick n Pay’s name now being carried in gold on the shoulders of all our national teams, I believe we are starting a journey that will carry rugby and Pick n Pay right into the hearts and homes of South Africa.”

Pick n Pay’s sponsorship of South Africa’s national rugby team came as a surprise to many, partly because the retailer is in the midst of an ambitious turnaround plan.

In an interview with Daily Investor following the retailer’s 2025 financial year results earlier this year, Summers revealed why the company decided to back the Boks.

Pick n Pay’s surprising decision

Pick n Pay’s results for its 2025 financial year showed the significant strides the retailer has made towards turning the company around, as well as the areas it still needs to work on.

Pick n Pay reported group turnover of R118.61 billion, up 5.62% from its 2024 financial year. Trading profit was R1.76 billion, a significant improvement from the R405 million recorded in 2024.

Discount retailer Boxer primarily drove this improvement, contributing R2.31 billion, while the Pick n Pay segment reported a trading loss of R549 million.

Overall, the group recorded a R651 million loss for its 2025 financial year. While this is an improvement from the R3.30 billion loss reported in 2024, considerable progress is still needed to restore the retailer to its former glory.

Therefore, while Pick n Pay is in a far better position than before Summers’ turnaround plan was implemented, there are still significant issues to address.

This is why Pick n Pay’s decision to spend, in Summers’ own words, “a bit of money”, on the Springboks sponsorship took some by surprise.

However, Summers told Daily Investor that this decision stemmed from his desire to celebrate the unification that the Springboks bring.

He said the sponsorship provided a wonderful feeling of unification within the company, which consists of around 30,000 people in Boxer and 60,000 in Pick n Pay.

“What that has done to sort of give another clarion call for them has been amazing,” Summers said.

Since taking on the role of CEO, Summers has made several changes across the company, including a highly successful Rights Offer and listing Pick n Pay’s Boxer.

The CEO has spoken several times about the importance of the people at Pick n Pay in this turnaround process and the need to ensure that a strong, capable team is in place to run it.

“That is simply the most important thing. At the end of the day, humans run companies,” he told Daily Investor.

The CEO also explained that Pick n Pay has always had an excellent reputation in South Africa. The retailer is synonymous with supermarketing and has always been a good corporate citizen.

Therefore, Summers’ decision to sponsor the Springboks, alongside the retailer’s other sponsorship initiatives, is intended to reinforce that reputation. 

“We’re investing a lot back into community, into schools and into all the stuff that we used to do in the old days,” he said.