A born leader who thrives on service excellence and connecting with his community, Ballito Lifestyle Centre Woolworths store manager, Neelandren Naidoo, is the man behind one of Ballito’s most popular stores.

Voted Best Supermarket and Fresh Produce Store in the Best of Ballito Readers’ Choice Awards, the Woolworths Food Market at Ballito Lifestyle Centre is in the process of undergoing a massive revamp, with the renovations for this ‘store of the future’ set to be complete by September this year.

43-year-old Neelandren Naidoo, manager of the Ballito Lifestyle Centre Woolworths store, is driven, hardworking and a natural-born leader. His love for people, though, and desire to connect with the community, have been the true secrets to his success.
 

1. Tell us about your background and early life, and its impact on who you are today.
   “I was born and grew up in Verulam, which is where I still live. My wife, Roxanne, and I are very entrenched in the local community. I enjoyed and excelled in sports and academics at school, showing leadership qualities early on. I was the head prefect at primary school and high school. I think being a young leader gave me understanding and empathy for people. As I have grown older, it has given me the grace to lead effectively.
   My family and I lived on a farm for 10 years, and I believe that strongly influenced the person I became. It was hard, but also the best time of my life. Walking to school on dusty roads, struggling with water and electricity and having to make do with very little taught me humility and a deeper appreciation for things.”
   
2. How did you end up in the retail industry?
   “I started studying actuarial science, but quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I was always strong in maths, science and accounting, but felt no connection to it. I think I was always meant to work with people. I changed to a B-Com and worked part-time in a grocery store, replenishing shelves and working the till to support my studies. I worked my way up in the store, always wanting to learn more and got my first management post in Richards’s Bay in 2005. I was living in a caravan and walking to work every day. Six months later, I bought my first car.”
   
3. Tell us about your journey with Woolworths
   “I got my first job with Woolworths as a trainee manager in Johannesburg in June 2007. I was looking for more balance in my life, and the culture at Woolworths was so different from anything I knew. They take great care of their employees. I asked to return to Durban to be closer to my family and then worked at numerous Woolworths stores across the region over the next 15 years, facilitating the opening of several new stores, navigating challenges like Covid-19 and the KZN riots and, in the process, learning a lot about diversity, resilience and change. Every community I have worked in has been very different and I have loved learning about our different cultures and my customers’ varying needs.
   Being the store manager at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre Woolworths since 2022 has been fantastic. Ballito customers are amazing – they are clear on what they want and they just really love Woolworths! Their support is the reason we have been able to expand the store.”
   
4. Tell us about the Ballito Lifestyle Centre Woolworths revamp and the store’s role in the North Coast community.
   “The new Ballito Lifestyle Centre Woolworths Store of the Future will offer our customers a truly elevated retail experience. The store is growing from 1000m² to 1700m², and the revamp incorporates various store components, including a butcher, fishmonger, Woolworths Café and W Cellar (wine store). Our Kitchen offers a unique combination of lunchtime convenience meals and we have vastly increased our product offering.
   We have two sets of customers – locals and holidaymakers – and we try to ensure that we meet the demands and needs of both. In the peak festive holiday season, for example, we open the store at 6am, allowing residents the opportunity to shop early before the rush.
   We have a good understanding of what events are taking place in the region and ensure we have stocked the shelves accordingly. We have longstanding relationships with local schools and non-profits, and Woolworths, as a brand, prides itself on building and being involved with the local community.”
   
5. What sets Ballito Lifestyle Centre Woolworths apart from other grocery stores?
   “Besides our incredible product offering, I have to say it’s our service. Our staff are fantastic. We try to create a family environment at work (after all, we spend as much time with each other as we do with our own families). When our customers walk through the doors, our goal is to treat them as though they are being welcomed into our homes. The Woolworths brand has a strong focus on values and putting the customer first, and the company offers us all the support, training and resources we need to equip us to do that. This store is amongst the top Woolworths Foods stores in the country, but my goal is to be number one. I want customers to tell me when they shop with us, that they have never experienced a store like this before!”