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15 years after it opened its first store in Lagos in December 2005, Shoprite Holdings Limited, said in a trading statement for the 52 weeks to end June released on Monday, that it has started a formal process to consider the potential sale of all or a majority stake in its supermarkets in Nigeria. This process was initiated after the Shoprite said in November that it was reviewing its supermarket operations outside South Africa and would consider exiting certain countries if that would help reverse regional sales declines. The retailer has been battling currency-induced inflation surges in several other African countries,  Bloomberg  reports. The update partly read: Despite difficult circumstances, in a year incorporating the COVID-19 lockdown and accompanying regulations governing trade, transport and operations, the Group increased total sale of merchandise for the 52 weeks to 28 June 2020 (including the impact of hyperinflation in the prior year) by 6.4% to approximately R1...

When a family goes on the hunt for their first home, it’s usually the stereotypical suburban dream-home, designed as a single-family property. While younger families are certainly becoming more open-minded in terms of what defines a “home,” there’s still something about the single-family home experience that is ingrained in our culture. However, as of late, that’s beginning to change. More and more people who would ideally be great candidates for a single-family home are looking to attached homes instead. And, while a duplex or multi-family home might not seem so attractive to those who have their mind set on what they want, there are several reasons why you may be able to lean your potential buyers towards settling on an attached home instead.    Here’s why:   There’s more construction with duplexes   In recent news reports, it’s becoming clear that  housing development has been at its lowest  since right before the housing crash te...

The word hope means "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen" and it is one of the most precious human emotions. When we hope, and that hope is deferred, it makes us heartsick, but when something hoped for is fulfilled, the Bible says, it is "a tree of life" ( Proverbs 13:12 ). The feeling of hope is central to every good story—we want a happy ending, and even through the worst circumstances, our desire to see that ending occur is what keeps us reading. The same is true of life. A person who has hope can live through terrible circumstances by keeping their focus on that desired outcome. But when hope is gone, grief is complete ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ). Dante, writer of the  Divine Comedy , imagined a sign over the gates of hell which reads "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." This fictional depiction of hell hits frighteningly near the mark. Hell is a place where there is no hope of anything better. There is no salvation possible...

We often talk about hope in a type of wishful sense: "I hope you have a nice day." "Hope you have a relaxing vacation." "I hope I get the job." "I hope she says yes." "I hope I get the promotion." "I hope I don't get sick." There are many things we hope for in this life, some more probable to happen than others. However, the biblical concept of hope goes far beyond these earthly hopes. It is not mere wishful thinking, but something we have confidence will happen.  Hebrews 11:1  says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The Christian's hope is grounded in the belief that there is more to life than what we can wish for in this world. The Christian hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in God's promise to resurrect all who believe in Jesus ( 1 Corinthians 15:19–23 ). It is the hope of forgiveness of sins ( Colossians 1:13–14 ). It is the hope o...

To have confidence is to have belief that you can rely on someone or something. We trust those in whom we have confidence. The world will tell you to have confidence in yourself and your ability to accomplish your goals and realize your dreams. Rich people are often confident in their wealth. The powerful are often confident in their strength and position. The worldly wise are confident in their wisdom. Is this what Christians are called to do? Are we called to believe in the world's gospel of self-confidence? No! The source of Christian confidence is not in himself or herself but in God Himself ( Jeremiah 9:23–24 ). The goal of the Christian life is not selfish ambition, but the glory of God ( Philippians 2:3 ;  1 Corinthians 10:31 ). As Christians, we are warned not to trust in ourselves or our own wisdom but to trust in God ( Proverbs 3:5–6 ). He is our confidence, our rock, our refuge ( Psalm 18:2 ). Whereas the self-confidence promoted by the world has selfish ambition as its ...

The self-esteem movement as we know it really began when Adam and Eve ate the fruit in Eden. Before that, self-esteem wasn’t an issue. Adam and Eve were not lost, and so had no need to “find themselves.” They had healthy self-esteem because they knew God and esteemed him above all things, certainly above themselves. This made them healthy selves, secure in their identity as children of God and complementary members of each other. Their self-esteem was rooted in a glorious humility, and defined and experienced in a God-designed community where they both knew and were known by God. But that changed when they (and all of us since) detached themselves from God in their effort to be “like God” ( Genesis 3:5 ). Self-esteem became rooted in pride, and seeking it became infected with selfish ambition. It mutated from a God-glorifying, complementary pursuit into a self-glorifying, competitive pursuit. Looking in the Wrong Places Around the turn of the twentieth century, theories of “self-esteem...