WOOLWORTHS UTTER ******* AND SUPPORTING THE EAST INSTEAD OF SOUTH AFRICAN INDUSTRY

Woolworths, what on earth has happened to your food quality — and indeed to quality in general? It has deteriorated to such an alarming extent that one would be forgiven for finding superior produce from a street vendor.

We recently purchased four pizza bases (sold in packs of two), and quite frankly, they were utterly abysmal. Completely tasteless. I daresay there was more tomato residue on the inside of my tomato sauce bottle lid than on all four pizzas combined. The product was insipid, lifeless, and frankly an embarrassment. We have tried pizza bases from every major supermarket, and never — not once — have we encountered anything as poor as this.

What Woolworths appears to excel at these days is outsourcing almost everything to Eastern nations. This practice directly contributes to the unemployment of South Africans — particularly the poorest and most vulnerable — while simultaneously shutting down local industries and factories. It is a disgrace. What was once a retailer that proudly championed South African-made products has devolved into little more than a marketplace for Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian (and similar) imports. One might as well shop at an open Chinese market and pay a fraction of the price.

If Woolworths claims to be pro-empowerment, that assertion is nothing short of a falsehood. Woolworths clothing, shoes, and underwear were once trusted products, proudly manufactured in South Africa by South Africans. Today, much of it is substandard merchandise imported from Eastern countries.

Anyone who genuinely supports empowerment should boycott Woolworths entirely. Until there is a fundamental change in direction, both myself and many of my friends — previously loyal Woolworths supporters — will never shop there again.