Beware fake Shoprite job ads on Facebook in South Africa

Facebook posts (here and here) include links to dodgy job aggregate websites and require the applicant to comment "HELP" or with their phone numbers.

“Shoprite is looking for Unemployed people, 500 Males and 650 females to start working immediately. want many people as General workers, Cashier, packers,cleaners, drivers and security with or without matric (sic),” reads one post, shared more than 500 times since November 15, 2021.

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A screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on November 19, 2021

Comments on the post indicate that many people believe that the jobs are legitimate, with some sharing personal information or commenting “HELP”.

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A screenshot of the comments on the misleading Facebook post, taken on November 19, 2021

AFP Fact Check followed the links, which redirect users to web pages on Blogspot.com, where various companies purportedly list job offerings. However, each of those links further detours to other suspicious job aggregator websites -- and not the advertised Shoprite openings.

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A screenshot of one of the pages, taken on November 19, 2021

Not Shoprite posts

After sharing one of the false posts with Shoprite, the company told AFP Fact Check that it “has no association with the Facebook post”, adding that the careers tab on their website gives authentic and current details on various positions available.

“Holiday work in stores for the December period can also be accessed from the Careers section on the website and selecting ‘Work at our stores’”, or by “sending a WhatsApp message to 0872405709 and selecting ‘Job Opportunities’.”  

“The Shoprite Group of companies will never require any candidate to pay a fee when applying for a position within the Group,” the representative said.

“Good advice will always be to not provide personal details to an unknown third party.” 

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A screenshot of the application process on the Shoprite website, taken November 19, 2021

High unemployment

AFP Fact Check has previously debunked numerous similar fake job posts here, here and here.

South Africa’s official unemployment rate remains stubbornly high -- measuring 34.4 percent in the second quarter of 2021 from 32.6 percent in the first quarter, according to the national statistics agency, Stats SA. 

The expanded unemployment figure, which takes into account discouraged job seekers, rose from 42.2 percent to 44.4 percent.