Checkers has opened the doors to its first fully halal-certified store in the Western Cape, and the Athlone community turned out in numbers to mark the occasion. The new branch sits inside the Crawford Centre and welcomed shoppers, staff and business partners on Thursday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a short dua and a recitation from Surah Ar-Rahman.
Zunaid Essop, Checkers’ divisional head buyer, described the launch as a milestone for the retailer, noting that the store was built with local tastes and values in mind. Spanning 1,000 square metres, the branch has created 70 jobs for people in the area, 26 of which are brand new roles. Every department has been certified halal in partnership with the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa.
Ismael Ebrahim from the Mabel Property Development Group, the company behind the Crawford Centre, explained that this is the first store of its kind to open in the Western Cape, following two similar launches in KwaZulu-Natal last year. He spoke about how formal retail has long been scarce in historically marginalised communities, forcing many residents to travel far from home for a proper shopping experience. Bringing a store like this to Athlone means people no longer have to make the trip to the Atlantic Seaboard or Canal Walk for quality groceries.
Local suppliers also had reason to celebrate. Bibi’s Kitchen, one of the brands now stocked on the shelves, secured its very first listing with a major retail chain through this store. Food influencer Fehmida “Fehmz” Jordaan, who helped store manager Fatima Pearce cut the ribbon, praised the halal convenience section for how easy it makes grabbing a quick meal or snack, everything on offer is halal, which she found refreshing.
Springbok lock Salmaan Moerat popped in for his own grocery run and ended up drawing plenty of attention from fellow shoppers. He called the new store a fantastic addition to the area and confirmed his recovery from injury is going smoothly. He leaves South Africa on 30 August to begin a three-year stint with La Rochelle in France, so this shopping trip was something of a farewell errand.
Store manager Fatima Pearce said the turnout on opening day was the highlight of her morning, with residents stopping to ask when the store would finally open in the weeks leading up to launch. She believes the halal offering will become the drawcard that brings Athlone’s Muslim community together as regular shoppers, and hopes the branch becomes a firm favourite for locals.
Once the speeches wrapped up, the store settled into its usual buzz, trolleys rolling through the aisles, shoppers browsing the fresh produce and bakery sections, and everyday chatter filling the space. Checkers Foods Crawford is open daily from 8am to 8pm.
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