The Shoprite Group Supplier Awards is held annually to recognise suppliers for their support and collaborative approach toward the company's business during the year.
Suppliers nominated for this accolade are evaluated on criteria such as the extent to which they had contributed towards the supermarket group's growth and improved earnings, their stockholding and service levels, the efficiency of their administration processes, and the manner in which they provide support at store or head office level.
The spice manufacturer Freddy Hirsch was presented with the CEO's Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution towards the Shoprite Group and its business in South Africa. He arrived in South Africa in November 1936 as a 7-year-old refugee from Germany. He established his business in 1956 and worked hard to grow it over five decades to become the biggest food ingredient manufacturer on the African continent.