Jason Peisl, CIO at Pepkor is spearheading exciting projects aimed at promoting digital inclusion and enhanced customer engagement through personalised experiences across the company’s diverse portfolio of brands.
Seasoned retail CIO Jason Peisl has always had a passion for technology, but his journey to leading IT at one of South Africa’s largest retailers includes an unexpected twist – racing bicycles through the scenic landscapes of Switzerland!
“While tech has always been on my radar, it wasn’t the first thing I wanted to pursue after varsity,” Jason explains. “I spent many years racing locally on the Western Province track team. I had no clue what I wanted to do after varsity: I spent two years doing my accounting articles and quickly realised how that did nothing for my adventurous side – it didn’t come close to the thrill of racing bikes – so I headed overseas.”
This wasn’t just a hobby for Jason – it was his full-time pursuit, taking him between Switzerland and California. He might not race as much these days, but he still enjoys spending time on his bikes. Living close to Table Mountain, he takes full advantage of the mountain’s terrain for his rides.
Bagging it in retail
With the adrenaline rush out of his system, he returned after two years and joined Old Mutual as a project manager in employee benefits.
Jason explains that his return back home and first gig at Old Mutual was around the time Y2K was about to land and the insurer needed to upskill people in various application development languages to mitigate the risk Y2K presented. “They gathered a group of us, sent away for two years to learn coding and that’s when it all kicked off!” he says.
Jason enjoyed great career progression, after perfecting his coding skills for a few years. He went off to join Woolworths initially as a software engineer, which turned into a 12-year stint with the grocer. He left Woolworths as the head of application development and architecture, making the great migration over to Pick n Pay along with other senior executives at Woolworths at the time.
“I joined Pick n Pay as a solutions architect and worked my way up several roles and landed up becoming an IS executive responsible for, among others, innovation and enterprise architecture. This journey gave me good exposure to the full application landscape, such as digitisation, e-commerce, POS, loyalty platforms, payments, analytics and fintech,” he explains.
Ackermans came knocking at the door, presenting the CTO designation in front of him. “I spent a lot of time in grocery retailers from a technology perspective,” he explains. “Therefore, the prospect of understanding clothing was a completely new retail vertical for me, but the opportunities at much bigger retailers were too good to turn down.”
When Pepkor group CIO became vacant, he put his hand up and, having become better acquainted with clothing retail and its technology requirements, was chosen as the person for the job.
According to Jason, the IT landscape at Pepkor is quite complex and challenging. The transition from Ackermans’ CTO role to Pepkor Group CIO involved consolidating oversight across the group. Despite each brand having its own CIO, Pepkor IT serves as the central IT provider for all brands.
Aligning IT strategy with business goals
As Pepkor continues to evolve in the fast-paced world of retail, the alignment between its IT strategy and overall business objectives is becoming increasingly crucial. With the rise of new technologies in financial services, e-commerce, payments, and telecommunications, IT must transition to better support both traditional retail operations and these emerging sectors. The company’s technology roadmap for the next one to three years is a reflection of this strategic shift.
Jason emphasises key focus areas that will shape the company’s digital transformation. Modernising core enterprise platforms, simplifying the complex application landscape, and maturing the use of data for better decision-making are high priorities. “There’s a big push now to empower our business partners to use data, predictive models, generative AI and data visualisation to improve decision-making,” he explains.
This data-driven approach is part of a broader trend in the retail industry. Both locally and globally, retailers are leveraging AI and data science to optimise pricing, manage markdowns and improve workforce scheduling. These technological advancements are essential for staying competitive in a rapidly changing market.
However, one of the greatest challenges to this transformation is the complexity of the company’s IT landscape. “We are an organisation with massive scale, with nearly 6,000 stores. Simplification is key to achieving speed to market, and enterprise architecture is a critical competency in achieving this, both for understanding the current landscape and defining a strategic roadmap,” Jason notes. The goal is to streamline processes and enhance agility, ensuring that IT can respond quickly to the needs of the business.
Enhancing customer engagement and personalisation
Pepkor is also focusing on improving customer engagement through personalisation. Understanding customers and tailoring communication is becoming a key factor in driving growth and expanding market share. A central part of this strategy is the recently launched loyalty programme, +More, which aims to bring customers from across Pepkor’s diverse brands onto a single platform.
“The programme has only been live for a few months, but the uptake has been excellent,” Jason shares. “It’s one of the first initiatives to be rolled out across the entire group, and it has been widely embraced by our retailers.” In addition to boosting customer retention, +More provides valuable insights into customer behaviour, helping Pepkor fine-tune its offerings and enhance customer satisfaction.
Driving digital inclusion through innovative solutions
While Pepkor is enhancing its rewards offerings, the company is also focused on driving digital inclusion. With 70 percent of South Africa’s prepaid handsets sold through its stores, Pepkor has already established itself as a leader in the mobile space. The introduction of handset rentals through FoneYam is another step in promoting digital inclusion.
“Smartphones are expensive and highly desirable, so we’ve developed a solution that allows customers access to devices without the hassle,” he says.
“FoneYam allows customers access to smartphones with 12 monthly payments. An upfront payment is made in store and if any subsequent payments are missed, Pepkor can remotely lock the device, unlocking it once payments are up to date. This innovative approach ensures customers have access to smartphones while managing risk for the company.”
Staying ahead of the innovation curve
Jason stays at the forefront of innovation by continuously seeking inspiration from various sources. He regularly listens to podcasts, follows YouTube channels, and reads extensively about AI and the latest trends in technology. Networking with fellow CIOs inside and outside the retail industry also helps him stay informed about best practices and emerging trends.
Working with fintech companies and drawing on his knowledge of financial technology, Jason is aiming to drive innovation at Pepkor. “Understanding innovation in fintech is crucial, as is staying informed about best practices both locally and globally. I’m particularly excited to learn more about the next big thing in South Africa – alternative payments!” he concludes.
In the rapidly evolving retail landscape, aligning IT strategy with business goals is no longer optional – it’s essential. Pepkor’s focus on modernisation, simplification and customer engagement through technology is positioning the company for success in the digital age. By staying ahead of industry trends and leveraging data and AI, Pepkor is not just keeping pace with change, but leading the way in retail innovation.
