The controlling shareholder of Shoprite Holdings Limited, Dr. Christoffel Wiese will be speaking at a major international conference for entrepreneurs, “Networking with the Giants”, organised by the world’s largest entrepreneurship network, Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E). The conference will hold on November 30, 2017 at Lagos Oriental Hotel.

Dr. Wiese confirmed his attendance during a courtesy visit by the President of A.Y.E, Mr. Summy Smart Francis and other executives of the organisation to Wiese’s Cape Town office in preparation for the high-impact conference to be headlined by Mr. Jack Ma, Founder and Chairman of Alibaba Group.
The A.Y.E Networking with the Giants conference will be a convergence of global corporate and business giants. It will also feature other eminent personalities such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, world’s richest black woman; Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, leading politician and thinker; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. John Moore (USA), Mrs. Patti Boulaye Obe (UK), Mr. Ashish Thakkar (Uganda) and many others.
A.Y.E said the conference will also provide a networking platform for budding entrepreneurs, government leaders, Policy Makers, Business Executives, MDs/CEOs, Directors, Public and Private Sector Industry leaders to connect and share insights with like minds.
Dr. Wiese who will be making his first visit to Nigeria for the conference stated; “I have never been to Nigeria due to my very busy schedule, I have missed two previous networking with the Giant conferences but will be happy to attend this and network with different people that I have never met before”.
He was recently honoured as the 11th A.Y.E Honorary Member. Dr. Wiese is widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful businessmen. Apart from being the controlling shareholder of Shoprite, he is also the Chairman of Invicta Holdings Limited and Pepkor. He is an Independent Non-Executive Director at Steinhoff International Holdings Limited and currently serves on the boards of numerous companies.

He admonished young entrepreneurs across Africa to work. “I am an African; I believe there are fantastic opportunities in Africa and that this century will be an African century”. Dr. Wiese defined a typical entrepreneur as an individual who spots an opportunity in a marketplace and then gives up the security of his or her salary cheque to follow his dream and start from the scratch.
Shoprite Holdings Limited became operational in Nigeria in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo with its first outlet at the Palms Shopping Centre in Victoria Island. Regarded as Africa’s largest retail supermarket, Shoprite has a network of about 2,689 outlets across 15 countries in Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.
Commenting on his encounter with Dr. Wiese, Mr. Francis, President of A.Y.E said it was overwhelming. “His message went straight to my heart and everyone has to hear it for himself/herself so as to fully experience the impact of the counsel,” he stated.
Dr. Wiese also expressed profound support for Season II of A.Y.E Reality TV show, the world’s biggest entrepreneurial reality show. It will empower 500 young African entrepreneurs and also showcase interesting, innovative and inspiring businesses to millions of viewers on over 8 Terrestrial and Cable TV stations in Africa from October 1st to December 2017.