Golden anniversary for rural trader

During the past half century Cilliers (who became sole owner thirty years ago) grew the small shop into a successful double storey department store, offering employment to nine people and catering for the sport, school and clothing news of customers in this Northwest mining town.

Cilliers was a provincial rugby player and active member of the Bethal rugby club when a friend, the Joubert component of clothing dealer Joubert & Jacobs in Potchefstroom, contacted him in 1960 with the suggestion that they buy Stilfontein Sport. At that stage he had ten years’ experience in retail, working for the Bethal co-op, and had little hesitation to follow his friend’s suggestion to branch out on his own.

Not even the fact that he sold a total of 25c worth of goods on the first day could dampen Cillliers’ enthusiasm. “I didn’t know a lot about the industry – I only knew how to play rugby and golf – but I persevered and we were blessed. We got excellent support – we cater for 15-16 schools in the area – and the local community supports us.”

That enabled him to grow and expand Stilfontein Sport into a large department store created by adding a mezzanine floor to the building he owns. The top floor now houses the schools department, while the sport, arms and ammunition and ladies and men’s clothing departments are on the ground floor. It also enabled him to trade through the recession, although customers in the area are losing their jobs, and the surrounding mines are cutting back on spending on sports equipment. He also inspired and helped his son, Andre, to start and grow the Thambazimbi Sport store.

Aged 77, Cilliers is thinking about retirement, but for the time being he is enjoying his golden anniversary in the sports trade.

He attributes his success to:
» Offering the right, good quality, products at the good price;
»Always giving the customer the benefit of the doubt and always making him believe he is right, even though you know he is so wrong, because that will encourage him to return. “It doesn’t help to fight with a customer, you can’t win.”
»The way you treat and approach people makes a vast difference to their shopping experience – friendliness and caring about their needs make a vast difference.