An advert claiming that the South African supermarket chain Shoprite is recruiting new workers was shared in different groups on Facebook in April 2021.
The Facebook post reads in part: “Shoprite is looking for unemployed people to start working immediately.”
It adds that almost everyone who typed “help” in the comments section has previously been contacted.
The ad, also shared here and here, advertises a variety of positions, including general workers, cleaners, “securities”, drivers, cashiers and packers.
But is the ad legit? We checked.
Beware of clickbait
The post contains links to a website called shoprite Learnership jobs, which in turn redirects to a Wordpress blogpost. But it doesn’t take you to the official Shoprite website.
The URL in the post includes the words “shoprite learnership” but appears to have been created using Bitly, a URL shortener that allows for customisation of the text in the link, to reflect a brand or landing page.
This also means a URL can be made to look more official than it is.
However, the link appears to be clickbait, designed to encourage website visitors to click on it, but with no clear application process for the jobs. The links provided direct users to a Wordpress site called “JobHost”.
The ad targets those with grade 9 to 12 education, but includes grammatical errors, casting more doubt on the authenticity of the ad.
And a look at the official retailer’s website and Facebook page finds no reference to the jobs listed in the post.
Use retailer’s career website
Responding to a query on Facebook Messenger, a Shoprite representative told Africa Check that they have “no association” with the site that posted the listing.
They added: “Anyone wishing to apply to work with the supermarket chain should only use the careers website, which has reliable and up-to-date information”.
Africa Check has previously debunked a similar ad claiming Shoprite was recruiting new workers. Like the older version, this ad is also bogus.
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