Pharmacy retailer Clicks Group has become the biggest vaccinator in the private sector after administering 1.4 million jabs.
In its annual results for the year ended 31 August, released on Thursday, Clicks said the vaccinations were done at 525 of its sites. The group has been part of South Africa’s nationwide vaccination programme.
"Clicks has the capacity to administer 600 000 vaccinations per month and will continue to play a key role in supporting this national priority," said Clicks CEO Vikesh Ramsunder.
The pharmacy retailer reported that despite the impact of the unrest that took place in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July, its operating profit grew by 82% to more than R3 billion and its diluted headline earnings per share increased by 8.8% to 837 cents after being adjusted for the unrest.
Clicks also declared a total dividend of 490 cents per share.
In KwaZulu-Natal, 53 of the group’s stores and two distribution centres were looted and damaged and eight of its stores are still closed. Clicks has since made a claim for damages with the South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) for R726 million and has so far received R217 million.
The group’s turnover grew by 10% to R37.3 billion, its distribution turnover through United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD), increased by 12.3%. UPD's wholesale turnover also increased by 15.1%, due to private hospital group sales in the second and third waves of the pandemic.
In terms of its footprint, Clicks opened 39 new stores, bringing its total number to 782, it also increased the number of its pharmacies to 621, after opening 36 new ones. The group, which is acquiring 25 Pick n Pay pharmacies, said it will add between 20 and 30 new stores and up to pharmacies in the 2022 financial year.
