Johannesburg, 24 November 2022 – Puma Energy has agreed a forecourt deal with Millat Convenience, a subsidiary of the Johannesburg-based Millat Group, which will explore giving Millat Convenience access to over one hundred Puma Energy retail sites across South Africa to roll out the popular Circle K convenience stores. The first store is now open for consumers at a Puma Energy service station in Moreleta Park, Pretoria.
Janet Sithole, Puma Energy’s Non-Fuels Retail Manager for Africa said, “This is the start of an exciting new chapter in Puma Energy’s story in South Africa. Like Puma Energy, Circle K is known around the world for its commitment to quality and excellent customer service. This partnership aligns with our plans to create high-quality fuel and convenience outlets where customers can access all their fuel and daily shopping needs at clean, friendly and convenient retail sites. Footfall at the Moreleta Park facility has already exceeded initial expectations.”
Puma Energy has a network of 112 retail sites across South Africa with a variety of convenience retail offerings car washes and quick-service food outlets.
Through this partnership with Millat Convenience, Puma Energy aims to draw customers to their service stations and to keep them as frequent visitors. The Circle K stores will offer customers a variety of freshly made on-site, chef inspired food as well as several new imported candy and confectionary brands.
Hamza Farooqui, CEO, Millat Group says, “Bringing Circle K to South Africa with Puma Energy aligns with our concept of introducing customer-centric brands, experiences and compelling food service offerings. As a brand, Circle K is an acknowledged leader in the convenience retail sector.”
The agreement is a clear sign of the confidence two major international brands have in South Africa’s future in the short term and could create around 2000 jobs.
South Africa is Circle K’s 25th global market. Circle K is the subsidiary of Laval, Canada-based Alimentation Couche-Tard (“Couche-Tard”), which operates a network of approximately 7 000 stores in the US and almost 14,100 locations worldwide.
The Millat Group is a South African private equity firm with a private portfolio of assets within the tourism and hospitality sectors.
About Puma Energy
Puma Energy is a leading global energy business, safely providing energy across six continents. Our downstream business segments include fuels, aviation, lubricants, LPG and bitumen. We have 1,998 fuel retail sites and we are present at 108 airports around the world. Our purpose is to help drive growth and prosperity by sustainably serving our customers’ needs in high potential countries around the world. Across Africa, Puma Energy operates in 15 countries overall and has a retail network of 687 outlets in 13 countries.
Puma Energy supplies premium diesel, petrol and lubricants to 112 retail sites across South Africa. Since Puma Energy entered South Africa in 2015 it has added new stores every year. Puma Energy retail sites have a variety of convenience retail offerings such as, OK Express and other unbranded stores, car washes and fast food outlets. Puma Energy indirectly employs 1,665 people in its retail business in South Africa.
For further information visit: www.pumaenergy.com
About the Millat Group
The group is a private family office that uses its own balance sheet to bring entrepreneurial solutions to complex commercial problems. The group has a strong investment portfolio which includes real estate, direct investments, and private equity holdings. It owns flagship assets in South Africa and internationally. It deploys its capital and know-how on assets and sectors it deeply understands. Its sectors of expertise include real estate, hospitality, technology, and financial services.
For more information, please visit www.millatinvest.com.
About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and mobility, operating in 24 countries and territories, with more than 14,300 stores, of which approximately 10,900 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Approximately 122,000 people are employed throughout its network.
For more information about Circle K, please visit www.circlek.com. For more information about Alimentation Couche-Tard, please visit https://corpo.couche-tard.com/en/
