Family pays tribute to ‘institutional giant’ Raymond Ackerman

The memorial service of Raymond Ackerman was held in Cape Town on Monday morning, where close family including his children and grandchildren paid tribute to the South African businessman and philanthropist.

In a modest stage setting, close family, colleagues and friends took to the podium to share the memories they had with the retailer legend.

Ackerman passed away on 6 September at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife, Wendy, four children, 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

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Fond memories

Gareth Ackerman was one of the early speakers who took to the podium, where he shared fond memories of his father. He was followed by former Managing Director of Pick n Pay, Hugh Herman, who told the attendees of the great ventures he embarked on together with Raymond.

He paid homage to the good husband Raymond was to his wife Wendy, stating he always consulted her when it came to business decisions and took her advice seriously.

Pick n Pay Director, Audrey Mothupi, also took to the stadium where she related how when she was due to meet Wendy and Raymond Ackerman in her final rounds of interviews, Raymond himself had made her a cup of tea before he and Wendy took the opportunity to get to know her.

“I will always remember this act of humility,” she had said.

‘Gramps’ the champ

Grandchildren Nicolas and Guss also shared happy memories with their grandfather, who they lovingly called ‘gramps’. They recalled how he was an avid golfer and an institutional figure – one whom they had to share with the rest of South Africa.

The Herzlia Vocal Ensemble from the Herzlia School graced the stage with a traditional Jewish rendition.

Background

After graduating from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Commerce, Raymond Ackerman joined the Greatermans group’s Ackermans division in 1951 as a trainee manager at the age of 20. Ackermans, originally founded by his father Gus, had been sold to the Greatermans group in 1940. Raymond Ackerman was later offered a position at Greatermans’ head office in Johannesburg. During the early 1950s, he played a key role in establishing a food retailing supermarket called Checkers under the leadership of Norman Herber, the chairman of Greatermans. Ackerman’s leadership at Checkers led to its significant success.

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In 1965, Raymond Ackerman received the Outstanding Young South African award, alongside Gary Player. By 1966, at the age of 35, he became the managing director of 85 Checkers stores.

However, he was fired the same year. In response, Ackerman used his severance pay and a bank loan to purchase four stores in Cape Town, which he rebranded as Pick n Pay.

Under his guidance, Pick n Pay grew into one of Africa’s largest supermarket chains, with a turnover of R37 billion in 2006. The company operated more than 124 supermarkets, 14 hypermarkets, and 179 franchised outlets, employing more than 30 000 people across various African countries.