In a somber announcement, South African retail giant Pick n Pay shared the news that its founder Raymond Ackerman has passed away at the age of 92. Ackerman, a retail legend and visionary entrepreneur, not only left an indelible mark on the business landscape but also touched the hearts of many as a humanitarian known for his philanthropic work.



“With profound sadness we announce that Pick n Pay founder Raymond Ackerman has passed away. A visionary entrepreneur, humanitarian and a great South African. Our country has lost a brilliant patriot who always saw a positive future for South Africa” the company said on X, formerly Twitter, in a statement. 



Beginning his life in Cape Town, Ackerman began working in the retail chain of the same name founded by his father. Its subsequent sale in 1946 paved the way for the birth of another massive supermarket chain – Checkers. In 1967, Ackerman himself began his own retail empire, purchasing four stores that would eventually bear the name Pick n Pay.&nbsp;



With investor support, the chain rapidly expanded across the country, transforming the South African retail landscape, with more than 2,000 stores in operation today. The company also boasts a market cap of almost $1 billion.



His incredible business acumen let Ackerman pioneer several innovations now commonplace in the South African retail market, such as ‘no name’ food brands and in-store banking at retail outlets.



Condolences poured in from all corners of South African society, with politicians, celebrities and citizens alike sharing messages.&nbsp;



“… he left an enormous legacy,” said John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance. “His positive contribution to our society will be his legacy.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ackerman was equally known beyond the brick and mortar of his businesses for his philanthropic endeavors, actively championing fuel price deregulation, and founding the Raymond Ackerman Academy for Entrepreneurial Development in collaboration with the Universities of Cape Town and Johannesburg.



Ackerman received the CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards&#8217; Lifetime Achievement award in 2011.



In a poignant reflection shared when he celebrated his 90th birthday in 2021, Ackerman acknowledged South Africa&#8217;s challenges but remained hopeful. He saw a resilient nation in the midst of adversity, citing the resilience and compassion displayed by its people as a beacon of hope for the future.



As South Africa bids farewell to Ackerman, the retail industry and the nation as a whole mourn the loss of a visionary leader, philanthropist, and patriot. His life&#8217;s journey exemplified the power of perseverance, innovation, and a commitment to a brighter future.&nbsp;

Pick n Pay and BP announce points partnership for smart shoppers

Visionary South African Retail Icon Raymond Ackerman Passes Away

TOPLINE A special forces unit of the Guinea Armed Forces ousted the country’s long-serving President Alpha Conde on Sunday in an apparent coup, causing global aluminum prices to soar over fears that the unrest in the West African nation could impact the supply of a raw material, bauxite, which is needed to make the metal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



The military unit which claims to have seized power announced that they have dissolved Guinea’s government, its constitution and closed its land and air borders.



The new military rulers have imposed a nationwide curfew “until further notice” and have said they plan to convene a meeting of Conde&#8217;s cabinet later on Monday.



Unrest in the world’s third-largest producer of bauxite has pushed aluminum prices to the highest level in over a decade.



Prices of the metal in the London Metal Exchange climbed by 1.8% on Monday to $2775.50 per ton—the highest it has been since May 2011.



In China, the aluminum futures jumped up nearly 3.5% to around $3,400 (CNY 21,970)—the highest it has been since 2006—before leveling off at around 2.3%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



Following the announcement of the coup, the U.S. State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/on-the-military-seizure-of-power-in-guinea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">issued a statement</a>&nbsp;in which it said: “The United States condemns today’s events in Conakry… We urge all parties to forego violence and any efforts not supported by the Constitution and stand by the rule of law.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



64 million metric tonnes. That’s the amount of bauxite that Guinea&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/profiling-the-top-five-bauxite-producing-countries-in-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">produced</a>&nbsp;in 2019 putting it third in the world behind Australia and China in terms of annual production. The country also holds the largest reserve of the aluminum ore in the world at 40 billion tons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



Despite worldwide condemnation, the coup&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/6/guinea-coup-military-arrest-president-dissolve-government" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;sparked celebrations in some quarters of the nation’s capital Conakry. Last year, the ousted president Conde secured a third term in an election that was marred by violent protests, claims of fraud, and controversy over changes to the country’s constitution to remove a two-term presidential limit. His return to power had sparked demonstrations in parts of the country which led to several deaths and hundreds of arrests. One Western diplomat&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/army-seizes-power-in-guinea-holds-president/articleshow/85966324.cms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;AFP that Sunday’s coup may have been sparked by the Conde government’s decision to dismiss a senior commander in the special forces—sparking a rebellion from some of the members of its group.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/heavy-gunfire-heard-guinea-capital-conakry-reuters-witness-2021-09-05/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elite Guinea army unit says it has toppled president</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)



<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/6/guinea-coup-military-arrest-president-dissolve-government" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Guinea coup: Military arrests president, dissolves government</a> (Al Jazeera)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

GUINEA-ARMY-POLITICS-UNREST

Guinea Special Forces Oust President In Coup, Unrest Causes Aluminum Prices To Soar

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman died Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer, his family <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/chadwickboseman/status/1299530165463199747?s=20" target="_blank">said</a>.



KEY FACTS



Boseman was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2016 and battled the disease for four years as it progressed to Stage IV.



He died in his home with his wife and children by his side, a statement from his family says.



Boseman had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/5f4352111fdead278da3651b44d311b8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Associated Press</a>.



Boseman starred as Marvel’s first Black superhero in the 2018 blockbuster&nbsp;Black Panther.



He died on Jackie Robinson Day, which is celebrated annually by the MLB, years after portraying the baseball legend opposite Harrison Ford in the 2013 film 42.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://t.co/aZ2JzDf5ai">pic.twitter.com/aZ2JzDf5ai</a>&mdash; Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) <a href="https://twitter.com/chadwickboseman/status/1299530165463199747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



CRUCIAL QUOTE



“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during countless surgeries and chemotherapy,” the statement reads.



-Rachel Sandler, Forbes Staff

Tag: Breaking

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Visionary South African Retail Icon Raymond Ackerman Passes Away

Guinea Special Forces Oust President In Coup, Unrest Causes Aluminum Prices To Soar

‘Black Panther’ Star Chadwick Boseman Dies At 43