Highlighting the critical challenges and rapid shifts across South Africa’s commercial landscape, the Retail World Forum Cape Town 2026 convenes today, August 6, at The Old Biscuit Mill. Bringing together executive leadership, tech innovators, and retail strategists, the single-day summit is structured around an urgent imperative: execution, resilience, and sustainable growth in a complex market.
As economic pressures and digital transformation reshape consumer expectations across the region, today’s gathering will serve as a hub for operational blueprints, tech integration strategies, and leadership models built for long-term viability.
High-Stakes Boardroom Perspectives
The forum’s opening session, The Retail Power Hour, brings top C-suite executives to the stage to examine market expansion, e-commerce acceleration, and economic realities. Featuring Hazel Pillay (Managing Director, Pick n Pay Clothing), Leah McCrae (Managing Director, Starbucks SA licensee Rand Capital Coffee), Hylton Bannon (Managing Director, Toy Kingdom), and Kevin Lennett (Group CEO, Melbro Holdings), the discussion will unpack how leading brands are building future-ready strategies.
Modernizing Experience, Tech, and Value
Throughout the day, key sessions will explore how technology and operational alignment are transforming the end-to-end customer journey:
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Supplier & Ecosystem Strength: Pep Clothing CEO Marthie Raphael will highlight the critical role of supplier development and supply chain resilience long before products hit store shelves.
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The Agentic Era in Marketing: Netcore’s Rakesh Acharya and Hirsch’s Marketing Director Devashen Govender will discuss the rise of AI agents, hyper-personalization, and conversational commerce via platforms like WhatsApp.
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End-to-End Journey Alignment: Leaders from Mr D, Pattern, G-Star, Cape Union Mart Group, and Bootlegger will explore how cross-functional collaboration between store design, merchandising, and e-commerce shapes modern brand experiences.
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Human-First Retail Culture: In a featured Keynote Interview, Footgear Co-Founder Barry Sickle will join PUMA Group’s Brett Wyngaard to share insights on maintaining authentic, human-centered customer connections alongside digital innovation.
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Redefining Value Beyond Price: An afternoon panel with experts from Takealot.com, Ackermans, AdHive Group, and Actonia SA will address shifting conscious consumer behaviors, data analytics, and building trust beyond traditional price discounting.
The single-day event will conclude with focused presentations from Pres Les CEO Max Essmann on cross-functional team collaboration and PUMA Group’s Lucinda Clarke-Henry on demand-led merchandising decisions.
Full post-event reporting and key strategic takeaways from today’s sessions will follow as the summit progresses.
