Whitey Basson, een van SA se mees suksesvolle sakeleiers, word deur sy eweknieë beskryf as “geniaal”. Whitey het ’n legende geword toe hy, in SA se beroemdste oorname, die sukkelende OK Bazaars vir een rand gekoop het. In dié gemagtigde biografie vertel die bekroonde sakejoernalis Niel Joubert die volle storie van Whitey se opkoms en fabelagtige sukses.

Van ’n paar klein winkeltjies, gewaardeer teen R1 miljoen, het hy Shoprite in Afrika se grootste kleinhandelaar omskep – en die 35ste grootste kleinhandelaar in die wêreld. Ná jare se navorsing, en baie ure in gesprek met Whitey self, herskep Joubert Whitey se kleurryke lewe, van sy seunsdae op die plaas buite Porterville via Pep Stores tot Shoprite.

Nadat hy Grand Bazaars, Checkers en OK Bazaars oorneem, bereik Whitey uiteindelik sy groot mikpunt: om Pick n Pay verby te steek. In die proses het hy SA se grootste private werkgewer geword en welvaart geskep vir tallose Suid-Afrikaners. ’n Hoogs leesbare en inspirerende sakestorie.

Whitey Basson, remarkable business leader, is often hailed as a ‘genius’ by his peers. Basson became a legend when, in the most famous takeover deal in SA, he bought OK Bazaars for the nominal sum of a single Rand. In this authorised biography, the award-winning financial journalist Niel Joubert pieces together the complex, fascinating story of how Basson grew Shoprite from eight small stores valued at R1 million into the largest retailer in Africa, and the 35th largest retailer in the world.

Based on years of research, including many hours spent with Basson, Joubert traces his life in colourful detail, from a Porterville farm, to Pep Stores, to where he sets out to apply the 'Pep formula' to the unforgiving world of food.

Starting from a small office filled with boxes, Basson built Shprite via growth and acquisitions, swallowing Grand Bazaars, Checkers, and others before the famous OK Bazaars deal, and finally reaching his lifelong target of eclipsing Pick n Pay.