Black Friday, holiday sales spur demand at S.Africa’s Shoprite

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Shoprite, South Africa’s biggest supermarket group, reported on Tuesday a nearly 14% jump in its half-year sales, supported by a record Black Friday and festive season as cash-strapped shoppers and upmarket consumers went after food deals. The retailer, with more than 2,900 stores across Africa, said group sales for the six-month period ended Dec. 31 rose to 121.1 billion rand ($6.44 billion). Sales in the company’s second quarter, which include November and the Christmas holiday period, rose 14.6%. Cash-strapped shoppers, hit by high interest rates and inflation, are spending less on discretionary items like clothes and shoes and more on food and essentials. “Sustained high level of execution and continued customer momentum together with record…