Meat Market Manager – Shoprite Group

Location: Ridgeway, Gauteng, South Africa

Reference Number: SHO261002-3

Job Type: Full-Time

Posted: 02 October 2026

Closing Date: 09 October 2026

Introduction

Are you an experienced, results-driven butchery professional with a strong track record in retail meat management? The Shoprite Group is seeking a skilled Meat Market Manager to lead operations at their Meat Market branch in Ridgeway, Gauteng. In this pivotal management position, you will oversee day-to-day butchery activities, ensure strict compliance with health and hygiene regulations, drive financial profitability, and lead a dedicated counter team. If you possess expert meat cutting skills, sound financial acumen, and a passion for customer service excellence, apply today on applyretail.co.za!

About the Company

The Shoprite Group is the largest food retailer in Africa, operating thousands of supermarkets, hypermarkets, and specialized meat markets across the continent. Famous for delivering top-tier fresh meat cuts, gourmet braai products, and everyday value, the Shoprite Meat Market brand is a cornerstone of the group’s fresh food retail strategy.

At the Shoprite Group, workplace culture is built on operational excellence, high integrity, teamwork, and accountability. Store managers and head butchery leaders work in a fast-paced environment where continuous training, stringent food safety standards, and career development are actively cultivated. Joining Shoprite at the Ridgeway branch connects you with an industry giant that rewards initiative and leadership.

Company Summary

• Industry: Retail Trade, Butchery & FMCG Operations
• Company Size: Enterprise Industry Leader (Pan-African Retail Footprint)
• Work Culture: Performance-Driven, Quality-Focused, Customer-Centric, Hands-On
• Location: Ridgeway, Gauteng, South Africa

Available Opportunities

Shoprite is recruiting a Meat Market Manager on a full-time basis at their Ridgeway store in Gauteng. Reporting directly to the Regional Manager, you will take complete operational, commercial, and supervisory ownership of the branch butchery department.

Core Responsibilities:

• Butchery Operations & Quality Control: Managing daily meat cutting, primal deboning, portioning, traying, and wors manufacturing while ensuring all products meet Shoprite presentation and freshness standards.
• Financial & Stock Control Management: Driving sales to achieve gross profit (GP%), waste, shrinkage, and overall profitability targets while conducting stock counts and investigating inventory variances.
• Food Safety, Health & Compliance: Enforcing strict compliance with South African health, safety, and hygiene regulations, maintaining high housekeeping standards, and ensuring full team PPE compliance.
• Team Leadership & Development: Leading, motivating, and scheduling the butchery staff, monitoring productivity, conducting on-the-job training, and handling performance management.
• Customer Engagement & Service: Resolving customer queries promptly, offering expert product advice, and maintaining fully stocked, attractive display counters to maximize customer satisfaction.

Key Objectives

Your success as a Meat Market Manager at Shoprite Ridgeway will be evaluated by department gross margin, stock variance reports, food safety audit scores, and sales conversion rates. Within your first 90 days, you will be expected to:

1. Achieve GP% and Profitability Targets: Optimize cutting yields and manage product margins to hit designated monthly sales and gross profit benchmarks.
2. Execute Flawless Wastage & Shrinkage Control: Monitor carcass yields, enforce strict FIFO stock rotation, and minimize giveaway or trim loss to keep shrinkage below target levels.
3. Ensure 100% Food Safety Compliance: Maintain audit-ready hygiene standards across all cutting rooms, cold rooms, display cases, and processing equipment.
4. Optimize Team Productivity & Output: Structure staff schedules and production plans to maintain full display counters during peak trading hours.

What You Learn

Stepping into this managerial role within the Shoprite Group provides advanced corporate and operational exposure in large-scale butchery retail. In this role, you will build expertise in:

• Advanced Meat Yield & Margin Analytics: Principles of carcass breakdown, yield calculation, cost-per-kilogram pricing, and gross profit optimization.
• Shoprite Commercial & Inventory Systems: Practical mastery of corporate retail stock control software, carcass ordering protocols, and wastage auditing tools.
• High-Volume Butchery Production Management: Streamlining daily batch production for wors, value-added meats, ground beef, and specialized retail cuts.
• Retail Health & Safety Legislation: In-depth application of HACCP principles, food safety laws, occupational health regulations, and formal health audit standards.

What You Gain

Joining the Shoprite Group on a full-time basis brings long-term professional stability and attractive corporate advantages:

• Permanent Full-Time Leadership Role: Stable appointment with a market-related salary package and performance-linked management incentives.
• Comprehensive Employee Benefits: Access to medical aid contributions, retirement funds, staff discounts, and company wellness programs.
• Accelerated Career Progression: Clear pathways to advance into Regional Meat Market Specialist, Category Manager, or Senior Store Operations roles.
• Reputable Retail Network: Direct employment with South Africa’s most recognized supermarket and fresh meat brand.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• Minimum Grade 12 / Matric qualification.
• Proven experience as a Blockman, Butchery Supervisor, or Meat Market Manager within a high-volume retail supermarket or commercial butchery.
• Strong, practical meat cutting, carcass deboning, portioning, and wors manufacturing skills.
• Sound technical knowledge of meat specifications, yield calculations, and product quality grading.
• Proven track record in managing gross profit percentages, stock rotation, shrinkage, and department budgets.
• Excellent leadership, communication, customer service, and team management capabilities.
• Willingness to work retail shift rosters, including weekends and public holidays.

Interview Questions to Prepare For

Candidates applying on applyretail.co.za should prepare to answer the following interview questions during the selection process:

1. “How do you manage carcass yield and cutting calculations to ensure your department consistently hits its target GP%?”
   • Tip: Explain your methodology for monitoring trim loss, balancing high-margin value-added products (like wors or marinated cuts) with primal cuts, and enforcing precise cutting specifications.
2. “What specific steps do you take to prepare your butchery department for an unannounced food safety and hygiene audit?”
   • Tip: Detail daily sanitation routines, temperature logging for cold rooms, strict enforcement of PPE standards, and maintaining clean, sanitized equipment after every production run.
3. “How do you address a situation where meat wastage or stock variance figures suddenly spike above acceptable thresholds?”
   • Tip: Describe conducting an immediate inventory audit, reviewing receiving logs, checking carcass weights against invoices, verifying staff portion control, and adjusting order quantities.
4. “Why do you want to lead the Meat Market team at Shoprite Ridgeway in Gauteng?”
   • Tip: Highlight your passion for butchery craftsmanship, admiration for Shoprite’s market leadership, and commitment to driving commercial success through exceptional fresh meat standards.

Career Advice for Applicants

To ensure your application stands out on applyretail.co.za:

• Highlight Meat Cutting & Yield Skills: Explicitly detail your technical blockman experience, carcass yield management, and wors manufacturing background on your CV.
• Demonstrate Financial Acumen: Include concrete metrics from previous management roles, such as gross profit percentage improvements, wastage reductions, or sales growth.
• Confirm Ridgeway Location: Verify that commuting to Ridgeway, Gauteng, for regular retail trading hours and management shifts is convenient for you.
• Apply Before 09 October 2026: Complete and submit your online application, updated CV, ID copy, and references before the closing date.

How to Apply & Frequently Asked Questions

How to Apply:

1. Click the “Apply Now” button below on applyretail.co.za.
2. Upload your CV, Matric certificate, trade/butchery certificates (if applicable), ID document, and contactable references.
3. Complete the online screening application using reference number SHO261002-3.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

• What is the employment type? This is a full-time position within the Shoprite Group.
• Where is the job located? The role is based on-site at the Shoprite Meat Market branch in Ridgeway, Gauteng.
• When do applications close? The application closing date is 09 October 2026.

Apply now