Pick n Pay and Vivo Energy have quietly changed the everyday rhythm of shopping and refueling in Botswana. The two companies opened the country’s first Pick n Pay Go store at the Shell Village service station, bringing a true 24 hour convenience format to motorists, shift workers, and anyone who needs fresh coffee or basics at odd hours. This is more than a new shop. It is an idea about how retail and forecourt services can meet people where they already are.
A new kind of stop on the road
Walk in, grab a fresh bake, pour a coffee, pick up a snack or a ready meal and you are back on the road in minutes. Pick n Pay Go stores are designed to be fast, friendly and dependable for customers on the move. The model is deliberately simple: smaller footprint, sharper assortment, quality fresh offerings and round the clock availability. For drivers, the value is obvious. For local communities, the promise is jobs and a more useful service at local Shell stations.
Partnership with purpose
The move is part of Vivo Energy Botswana’s push to make its Shell sites one stop shops where fuel, food and retail are provided under one roof. Vivo Energy has been expanding its forecourt offerings by working with quick service and retail partners to give customers more reasons to stop in. The Pick n Pay collaboration embeds a trusted supermarket brand into that plan, and it gives Pick n Pay a visible, high footfall channel to reach new customers across Botswana.
A strategic step for Pick n Pay Botswana
This launch follows Pick n Pay’s recent decision to bring all 13 of its Botswana franchise stores under corporate ownership. The move was framed as a commitment to improved store standards, better customer service and a wider product range. The Go format at Shell Village signals the retailer is serious about strengthening its convenience offer while deepening its presence in the country.
What leaders say
Leon de Lange, managing director of Pick n Pay Botswana, described the format as a way to make shopping quicker and simpler for customers and said the partnership will help Pick n Pay reach more people while enhancing its operations in Botswana. Vivo Energy Botswana managing director Sesupo Wagamang highlighted changing customer expectations, saying motorists want more than fuel and that forecourts must offer quality and variety to stay relevant. Both executives pointed to the local employment and business opportunities the rollout will create.
Why this matters for shoppers and local business
Forecourt convenience is an everyday quality of life improvement. For commuters this is a place to collect essentials after late shifts and a new option for grab and go breakfasts. For small suppliers and bakeries it is an additional outlet with steady foot traffic. For the broader retail landscape it is proof that partnerships between fuel operators and grocers can unlock value by giving consumers what they want when they want it. That value is practical and immediate.
Rollout and what to watch for next
The Shell Village site is the first of more locations that Vivo Energy and Pick n Pay plan to open in the next few months. The recipe for success will be consistent store standards, smart local ranges, and operational reliability at all hours. If the partners get those basics right, the format could become a familiar convenience option across major routes and around busy urban centres in Botswana.
A win for convenience, a win for the economy
The Pick n Pay Go launch feels small on the map but big for the experience. It is a customer first idea that also creates jobs and supports local suppliers. For a country that prizes predictability and steady growth, the rollout of 24 hour convenience stores at forecourts is a sensible next chapter in retail evolution. Shoppers get faster access to daily goods. Workers get new opportunities. The retail ecosystem gains a tested convenience model that can scale. That is a practical win for many people in Botswana.
Final thought
Pick n Pay Go at Shell Village is the kind of service that quietly becomes part of daily life. When you need something late at night or early before a shift, you will remember that the shop is open, the coffee is hot and the shelves are stocked. In the small choices of convenience, this partnership could prove to be a big step for shoppers, stations and suppliers across Botswana.
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