A photo of Raymond and Wendy Ackerman celebrating the 50th anniversary of their listing on the JSE in 2018.
The business sector yesterday mourned the passing of SA retail legend Raymond Ackerman.
In a statement yesterday, Pick n Pay announced his passing and said: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the death at the age of 92 of visionary South African and founder of Pick n Pay, Raymond Ackerman.”
Ackerman passed away on Wednesday evening in Cape Town.
“He is survived by his wife, Wendy, children Gareth, Kathy, Suzanne, and Jonathan, his 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren,” the retailer said.
Tributes from around the country lauded Ackerman as an outstanding business leader and entrepreneur and offered condolences to his family and people who knew him.
Business Unity South Africa (Busa) said, “We have lost a titan, but his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us for generations to come.“
It said Ackerman’s resolute commitment to championing consumer rights, promoting inclusivity and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit set a benchmark at that time.
“Throughout his life, Ackerman was a retail pioneer who challenged the inclusion of VAT on essential food items and reducing the cost of daily essentials, thus positioning himself as a true advocate for the South African consumer,” the group said.
Busa CEO Cas Coovadia said: “The loss of Ackerman is profoundly felt across the length and breadth of South Africa. His legacy is one of resilience, integrity and dedication. Raymond Ackerman was a trailblazer in the truest sense.
“We aim to honour him by continuing to drive business growth, unity, and prosperity in our beloved nation,” he said.
According to Busa, his philanthropic endeavours speak volumes about his dedication to empowerment and upliftment.
“The Ackerman Family Trust's commendable support of education has resulted in the graduation of hundreds from diverse professional backgrounds, reaffirming his belief in the transformative power of education,” it said.
Busa also said his visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to ethical business practices, and loyal belief in the power of unity to drive South Africa forward had inspired countless individuals, both within and outside the business sector.
The South African Chamber of Commerce (Sacci) said Ackerman was an entrepreneur par excellence and a giant of the business and South African community, who was a pioneer and innovator in business.
“The many jobs created by Pick n Pay, millions of taxes generated to the fiscus by the Pick n Pay ecosystem over the years, and the creation of the many businesses that are dependent on Pick n Pay , is a testament to his pedigree, excellence, and massive contribution to South Africa,” he said.
Alan Mukoki, the CEO of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said South Africa at a crossroads when it came to economic growth and job creation.
“A significant thrust of the interventions necessary to keep growing South Africa's economy is to continuously unearth, nurture and support entrepreneurs of Ackerman's calibre, and allow their innovative ideas to flourish and create thriving economic ecosystems.
“A giant tree has indeed fallen,” he said.
The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa said, “In life, there are people who choose to take the road less travelled to build and leave a legacy that endures beyond their own generation. This aptly describes the legacy of Raymond Ackerman.”
It said, “He championed what retailing is today! As we mourn this gentle giant, let us be reminded of the values that he stood for, his work ethic, contribution to the growth of the retail sector and the wider economy, and the impact he had not only on our sector, but the wider community as well.”
Pick n Pay’s history
Ackerman leaves behind the legacy of a JSE-listed Pick n Pay with a market value of more than R16 billion. The company hires 90 000 employees across owned, franchised, and partner operations, according to its 2023 integrated annual report.
In the last financial year Pick n Pay generated a turnover of R106.6bn and a pre-tax profit of R1.68bn.
But this was not always the case, Ackerman founded Pick n Pay in 1967 along with Wendy after buying four stores in Cape Town.
According to Pick n Pay, Ackerman's business philosophy was underpinned by the “four legs of the table” (administration, social responsibility and marketing, people, and merchandise, with the customer on top) first introduced to Ackerman by Bernard Trujillo in the US.
Pick n Pay said Ackerman came from a retailing family with his father, Gus Ackerman, having founded Ackermans after World War I.
In the 1970s and 1980s, under Raymond Ackerman’s leadership, Pick n Pay was involved with fighting for consumer rights and stood against apartheid laws.
“Ackerman’s well-documented ‘petrol war’ began in 1975, by which time he was already selling discounted petrol at the Boksburg Hypermarket,” Pick n Pay said.
According to Pick n Pay, in 1986, it mounted a successful court challenge against the government’s prohibition of a petrol coupon scheme that gave customers grocery discount coupons with petrol purchases. Pick n Pay fought more than 26 rounds with the government on petrol price cutting and lost each time.
“However, Ackerman was about much more than shopping. He was a compassionate employer and a committed philanthropist. Even in the 1960s, he was determined to promote all employees to managerial positions, in defiance of apartheid laws which forbade it,” it said.
Pick n Pay said in 1989, Ackerman and a group of businessmen met then newly appointed president FW de Klerk in Pick n Pay’s Cape Town office. The group told De Klerk that Nelson Mandela should be released as soon as possible, and that apartheid legislation should be scrapped.
In 2004, he established the Raymond Ackerman Academy for Entrepreneurial Development in partnership with UCT, which was later joined by the University of Johannesburg, it said.
“The academy has produced hundreds of new business owners, many of them offering employment to others, while well over 400 of its graduates are now actively employed. Over the years, Raymond Ackerman was honoured by many institutions for his services to both business and society.
“In their retirement from the board of Pick n Pay Stores Limited in 2010, Raymond and Wendy became Honorary Life Presidents. He maintained an active interest in Pick n Pay and his philanthropy projects,” the group said.
BUSINESS REPORT