CA Sales delivered low single-digit revenue and operating profit growth for the six months ended 30 June 2026, reflecting a resilient operational performance in a market impacted by subdued consumer spending and the depreciation of the Botswana pula against the South African rand.
According to the financial statements, revenue increased by 2.2 percent year-on-year to R6.08 billion (H1 2025: R5.96 billion). Gross profit rose by 2.6 percent to R973.93 million (H1 2025: R948.96 million). Operating profit for the group increased by 2.3 percent to R342.34 million (H1 2025: R334.67 million). Earnings per share increased by 5.1 percent to 53.31 South African cents per share (H1 2025: 50.72 cents per share). Headline earnings rose by 6.4 percent to R257.13 million (H1 2025: R241.72 million), while headline earnings per share increased by 5.9 percent to 53.41 cents per share (H1 2025: 50.44 cents per share).
Total assets increased by 9.1 percent to R6.38 billion, driven mainly by the expansion of warehouse capacity in Eswatini and intangible assets arising from business combinations. Cash resources declined following the settlement of bank overdrafts and the funding of acquisitions and capital expansion. In line with its strategy, the group broadened its platform and strengthened its operating capability through acquisitions.
The group acquired a 71.19 percent interest in Main Street Holdings (Pty) Ltd, the holding company of South African distributor Sunpac (Pty) Ltd, for R204.1 million, effective 1 June 2026. Sunpac is a route-to-market partner with specialist capability in the growing private-label and confined-label category. The group also acquired a controlling stake in Pantry Club (Pty) Ltd, an e-commerce online business. Subsequent to the reporting date, the group increased its existing shareholding in its associates – Roots Sales (Pty) Ltd and Trapin Holdings Ltd (Tradco Group) – to 64 percent and 55 percent, respectively. It also acquired a minority stake in The Digital Media Consultancy (Pty) Ltd (TDMC), a digital-marketing specialist.
Management expects a stronger second half than the first, in line with the group’s normal seasonal trading patterns, and supported by the growing contribution of recent acquisitions during and after the reporting period. The group intends to continue investing through the cycle, positioning the business to emerge stronger as consumer conditions recover. In the near term, the priority is to integrate the recent investments and realise their value, while deepening route density and growing market share. Alongside this, the group will pursue disciplined, client-driven expansion in East Africa and continue to build digital, data, and category capabilities that increasingly differentiate its route-to-market offering.
Active management of margin, working capital, and cash, together with a strong balance sheet, gives the group the capacity to fund future growth from its own resources. Although parts of the footprint remain exposed to currency movements and subdued consumer spending, the breadth of the group’s markets and categories, its long-standing client relationships, and its depth of local execution underpin the board’s confidence in navigating the balance of the year and in continuing to compound value over the longer term.
