Tag Archives: Woolworths

Best restaurants to dine out in South Africa

The 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards took centre stage at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town on Monday, 31 March, bringing together South Africa’s top chefs, restaurateurs, and industry leaders for an evening dedicated to celebrating the nation’s culinary brilliance.

Over the course of eight months, a panel of eight anonymous, independent judges visited each shortlisted restaurant multiple times — during both peak and off-peak periods — ensuring a thorough and unbiased evaluation.

Eat Out’s star-rating system continues to be the gold standard in South Africa, with restaurants awarded 1, 2, or 3 stars based on their final scores. The assessment criteria encompass every facet of the dining experience, including food quality, technique, service, ambiance, and value.

A 3-star rating is given to restaurants that score over 90 out of 100, while 2-star and 1-star ratings are reserved for those scoring between 80-89 and 70-79, respectively.

Earning even a single star is a remarkable achievement, with only the country’s finest restaurants making the cut and distinguishing themselves from the rest.

Award winners:

One Star

  • Belly of the Beast (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • Cavalli Restaurant (Somerset West)
  • Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)
  • Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic (Hout Bay, Cape Town)
  • Creation Wines Tasting Room (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley)
  • Culinary Table (Lanseria)
  • Eike (Stellenbosch)
  • Ëlgr (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • Farro (Botrivier)
  • Galjoen (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • Hōseki (Stellenbosch)
  • Kapokbos (Bonnievale)
  • Le coin Français (Franschhoek)
  • Les Créatifs Restaurant (Bryanston, Johannesburg)
  • Marble Restaurant Johannesburg (Rosebank, Johannesburg)
  • Meraki by Charlie Lakin (Hillcrest, eThekwini)
  • Nevermind (Cape St Francis)
  • Orangerie at Le Lude (Franschhoek)
  • Post & Pepper (Stellenbosch)
  • Restaurant Klein JAN (Tswalu)
  • Reverie Social Table (Observatory, Cape Town)
  • Rykaart’s Restaurant at Longridge Wine Estate (Stellenbosch)
  • Scape at Vrymansfontein (Paarl)
  • Spek & Bone (Stellenbosch)
  • Table Seven (Salt River, Cape Town)
  • The Chefs’ Table (Umhlanga, eThekwini)
  • The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • The Table at De Meye (Stellenbosch)
  • The Test Kitchen Fledgelings (Woodstock, Cape Town)
  • Upper Union (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • Vuur Goose Island (Stellenbosch)
  • Zioux (Sandton, Johannesburg)
  • Beyond (Constantia, Cape Town)
  • Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia (Constantia, Cape Town)
  • CHORUS (Somerset West)
  • Clara’s Barn (Stellenbosch)
  • Epice (Franschhoek)
  • FABER at Avondale (Paarl)
  • Fermier (Pretoria)
  • Foxcroft (Constantia, Cape Town)
  • MERTIA (Stellenbosch)
  • Ouzeri (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • Protégé (Franschhoek)
  • Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)
  • Salon (Woodstock, Cape Town)
  • The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira (Stellenbosch)
  • The Pot Luck Club Cape Town (Woodstock, Cape Town)
  • The Waterside Restaurant (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
  • Wolfgat (Paternoster)

Three Stars

  • Dusk (Stellenbosch)
  • FYN (City Bowl, Cape Town)
  • La Colombe (Constantia, Cape Town)
  • La Petite Colombe (Franschhoek)
  • Pier (V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
  • Salsify at the Roundhouse (Camps Bay, Cape Town)
  • The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate (Pinetown, eThekwini)

Special awards: Excellence beyond the plate

The Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards celebrate more than just outstanding dining – they recognise the trailblazers shaping South Africa’s culinary future.

The Special Awards honour sustainability champions, rising stars and industry icons who elevate the dining experience through innovation, service and craftsmanship.

Salsify at the Roundhouse in Camps Bay was awarded Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant of the Year, having attained the highest score of any restaurant in the country.

The judges said: “It is a restaurant that balances the history of its unique setting, acknowledging and critiquing its past while celebrating its immediate environment through hyper-local foraging. This storytelling runs through its menu, complemented by attentive, knowledgeable and friendly service. There is a wonderful sense of generosity here, and guests feel special from the moment they arrive.”

The Eat Out Woolworths Financial Services Chef of the Year award went to Johannes Richter of The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate in Pinetown.

The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate was the recipient of another special award: the Eat Out Woolworths Green Star Award.

This year’s Eat Out Rising Star is Nathan Clarke, executive chef at The Test Kitchen Fledgelings in Woodstock.

Woolies trials ‘after dark’ delivery service

Retailer Woolworths has announced a trial of its new ‘after dark’ delivery service in partnership with Uber Eats and Engen Quickshop.

This service will enable South Africans to order Woolworths products from Woolworths Foodstops located at Engen, using the Uber Eats app, with delivery available until midnight, extending beyond traditional hours.

Currently, 24 Woolworths Foodstops in Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Western Cape are available on Uber Eats, with nine more stores set to join by the end of March.

The service is available in the following locations:

–KZN: Engen 45th, Engen Mitchell Park, Engen Fairway, Engen Illala Ridge, Engen Richards Bay, Engen Ballito, and Engen Malvern.
–Western Cape: Engen on Orange, Engen Vineyard, Engen Paradyskloof, and Engen La Rochelle.
–Gauteng: Engen Main Road (Bryanston), Engen Fairland, Engen William Nicol, Engen Edenburg, Engen Rivonia, Engen Woodlands, Engen Conrad, Engen Golden Harvest, Engen Willowcrest, Engen Kyalami Gardens, Engen Rembrandt Park, Engen Oxford Road, and Engen Summit Convenience.

Additionally, the following locations will be available soon:

Western Cape: Engen Sea Point, Engen Meadowridge, Engen Sonnendal, Engen Settlers Way, and Engen Tyger Waterfront.
Gauteng: Engen Technopark, Engen Magalieskruin, and Engen Bakenkop.

To access the service, customers can search for “Woolies” in the Uber Eats app.

Woolworths said that all deliveries will uphold the same product quality as on the Woolies Dash delivery platform.

“A key differentiator in our on-demand delivery is our cold chain, and I’m delighted that Woolies After Dark will use the same, innovative technology found in Woolies Dash to ensure our customers enjoy quality,” said Evangelos Morris, head of foodstops at Woolworths.

By 2025, 11.3 million South Africans are predicted to be e-commerce users, the vast majority of whom will reside in towns and cities, and are looking for convenience in their busy lives, the retailer said.

Cikida Gcali, GM for Grocery & Retail at Uber Eats, commented that certain areas of the country had experienced successful smaller trials of Woolworths food on Uber Eats, with demand exceeding expectations.

Woolworths slashes dividend and shifts focus to Country Road future

Upmarket retailer Woolworths reported nearly a 25% decline in headline earnings in its interim financial results for the 26 weeks ended 29 December 2024.

The group’s results for the first half of the 2025 financial year reflect the continued strong performance from our leading Food business, offset by lower contributions from our apparel businesses, with both Fashion Beauty Home (FBH) and Country Road Group (CRG) in the throes of significant transformation,” it said.

“The impact of softer-than-expected topline growth in our apparel businesses, coupled with pressure on gross profit margins and increased operating expenditure attributable to our transformation initiatives, negatively impacted profitability,” the retailer said in a statement.

For the first half of the 2025 financial year, Woolworths reported a turnover and concession sales of R40.3 billion, representing a 5.7% increase compared to the same period last year. The Group’s turnover alone stood at R39.6 billion, showing a 5.4% increase year-on-year.

However, adjusted profit before tax (aPBT) fell by 20.6% to R2.0 billion, largely due to softer performances from the apparel divisions and ongoing strategic investments.

Despite this, Woolworths declared an interim dividend of 107.0 cents per share, although this is a 27.7% decrease from the previous year, reflecting the current pressures on earnings.

Woolworths also noted a decrease in net borrowings, which stood at R4.7 billion compared to R5.8 billion at the end of the previous financial year. This improvement is attributed to the sale of the David Jones property in Melbourne, Australia, which provided significant cash inflows.

Woolworths Food

Woolworths Food delivered strong results, with turnover and concession sales increasing by 11.4% and comparable-store sales rising by 7.3%.

The food division benefitted from continued volume growth, improved availability, and ongoing innovation, with significant contributions from Woolies Dash, which saw a 49.2% increase in sales.

Online sales also grew by 37.2%, contributing 6.4% to total food sales.

Gross profit margins increased by 30bps to 24.9%, driven by more efficient promotions and value chain improvements. However, higher operating expenses related to growth investments and inflation led to a 15.2% increase in costs, partially offsetting the strong revenue growth.

Despite this, adjusted operating profit grew by 7.8%, reaching R1.72 billion.

Woolworths Fashion, Beauty, and Home (FBH)

The Fashion, Beauty, and Home business, while delivering a solid 2.5% increase in turnover, faced challenges. Key issues included temporary setbacks in product flow from distribution centre transformations and late supplier deliveries during the peak festive season.

Despite these obstacles, Beauty delivered impressive growth of 17.3%, establishing itself as a leading destination for customers in South Africa.

The business struggled with a significant decline in its gross profit margin, falling by 170bps to 46.3%, primarily due to increased promotional activity and higher costs from the transformation process. Adjusted operating profit decreased by 17.7% to R763 million.

Woolworths Financial Services (WFS)

The Financial Services arm of Woolworths saw a 3.7% year-on-year decline in its book size, but excluding the sale of part of the legal book, it saw a 1.0% increase. The division delivered a 6.6% growth in profit after tax and achieved an impressive return on equity of 22.3%.

Country Road Group (CRG)

The Country Road Group, which was separated from David Jones in 2024, faced a difficult trading environment in Australia and New Zealand. Sales declined by 6.2%, and the company experienced pressure from higher promotional activity and a weaker Australian dollar.

Online sales grew by 27.1% but could not offset the overall decline in sales. CRG’s gross profit margin fell by 320bps to 58.9%, and adjusted operating profit dropped by a steep 71.7%, returning an operating margin of just 2.6%.

Looking ahead, the retailer said it remains cautious about the macroeconomic environment. While consumer confidence is improving in both South Africa and Australia, economic risks persist, particularly in relation to global trade dynamics.

In Australia, while GDP growth is expected to gradually recover, the retail sector is likely to continue facing challenges, particularly with high living costs and promotional pressures.

In the second half of the financial year, Woolworths plans to reassess the value of its underperforming brands within CRG and evaluate its strategic direction moving forward.

“CRG (Country Road Group) is currently in the midst of a significant restructure to reconfigure its operating model and reset its structural economics as a standalone business. This restructuring is being implemented in an accelerated timeframe.”

Woolworths sees big drop in earnings

Woolworths Holdings published its trading update and trading statement for the 26-week period ended 29 December 2024, highlighting a mixed performance across its portfolio.

The group reported a 5.7% increase in total turnover and concession sales for the period, with a 6.2% increase in constant currency terms compared to the prior year’s 26-week period, which ended on 24 December 2023.

Woolworths’ performance was marked by solid growth in its Food business, though its apparel sectors, including Fashion, Beauty and Home (FBH) and Country Road Group (CRG), experienced more difficulties.

Food Business: Woolworths South Africa’s Food business led the charge, achieving a 9.1% increase in turnover and concession sales for the period. Notably, market-leading sales growth of 11.4% was recorded, driven by strong volume growth, improved product availability, and Woolworths’ innovative offerings.

Woolies Dash, the group’s on-demand delivery service, saw a 49.2% increase in sales. The Food division accounted for a large portion of the Group’s turnover, maintaining a positive outlook amid moderating inflation and easing interest rates in South Africa.

Apparel and Home Business (FBH): Woolworths’ Fashion, Beauty, and Home business grew by 2.5% overall, with a 2.7% increase in comparable-store sales.

However, the last eight weeks of the period saw a slowdown in sales growth, impacted by issues such as delays in product deliveries and changes in distribution centre systems. Despite this, the Beauty business delivered exceptional growth of 17.3%. The division saw positive volume growth, despite fashion deflation of 0.8%.

Country Road Group: The Country Road Group (CRG), which includes the Country Road and Witchery brands, faced a more difficult environment in Australia and New Zealand, exacerbated by high interest rates, increased living costs, and a promotional retail landscape.

The group’s apparel sales declined by 6.2% for the period, with a 7.8% drop in comparable-store sales. Despite improvements over the last eight weeks, especially during key trading events like Black Friday and the festive season, the division struggled with negative operational leverage due to its higher cost base post the David Jones sale and restructuring process.

Despite challenges in the apparel sector, Woolworths saw continued growth in its online platforms. Food online sales grew by 37.2%, contributing 6.4% to total food sales. FBH also recorded 25.2% growth in online sales, which now account for 6.6% of total sales in this division. The Group’s digital services, including Woolies Dash and online platforms, are emerging as key drivers of future growth.

Woolworths also provided a trading statement for the six months ended 29 December 2024. While the Food business continues to perform well, weaker-than-expected performance from apparel segments has impacted overall earnings.

Headline Earnings Per Share (HEPS) is expected to be between 18% and 23% higher, in the range of 148.4 cents to 158.6 cents, compared to 203.3 cents reported for the same period last year. This increase is largely driven by the profit from the sale of the property at 294 to 310 Bourke Street, Melbourne, for A$223.5 million in December 2024.

Adjusted Diluted HEPS (adHEPS), which adjusts for one-off items, is anticipated to decrease by 16% to 21%, with an expected range of 165.7 cents to 176.1 cents, down from 209.7 cents in the prior year.

The group noted that consumer sentiment in South Africa is gradually improving, aided by easing inflation, lower interest rates, and a prolonged suspension of loadshedding (power cuts). However, discretionary spend remains constrained, which has been particularly evident in the apparel and fashion sectors.

In Australia, consumer confidence has been bolstered by Black Friday promotions and improving retail sentiment, but high interest rates and living cost pressures continue to challenge consumer behaviour, particularly in discretionary spending categories.

Woolworths expects to publish its interim results for the 2025 financial year at a later date, providing further insights into the group’s performance and strategic direction.