AJP Group

What AJP Group does

AJP Group Holdings is a privately held, family-owned South African holding company founded in 1994 by the Baladakis family and headquartered at the 14,000 m² AJP Campus in Bonaero Park, Kempton Park, Gauteng. The group operates across four core verticals: franchised retail (OK Foods, OK Express, OK Urban and OK Liquor stores), retail property development and management (AJP Properties, with assets including Steeledale Mall, Killarney Mall, Glen Curve, Brentwood Park Mall and Stoneridge Centre), a food and hospitality division (AJP Foods franchising Hava Java, Qualitas, Passion Patisserie and BushFire), and a portfolio of service businesses (MAXD Security, Klik Storage, Gozone Water, DIY4U building maintenance, and AJP Advance marketing).

Revenue is generated through a mix of franchise retail sales, tenant rentals and property appreciation on owned shopping centres, licensing royalties from food brands, and transactional service fees from the security, storage, water and maintenance subsidiaries. Following a 2024 separation from Pick n Pay, the group has re-platformed around a property-led model in which the OK franchise stores increasingly act as anchor tenants within AJP's own malls, supported by captive in-house services and a 4.6 MW GreenYellow solar PPA across 10 East Rand sites.

The group serves South African retail consumers, retail tenants and franchisees across Gauteng (with concentration in the East Rand, Johannesburg, Edenvale and Kempton Park), and is led by Group CEO John A. Baladakis and COO Peter Baladakis. There is no disclosed headcount, no public revenue, no institutional investors and no parent company; the business is funded internally and through conventional debt, evidenced by the R397.5 million Killarney Mall acquisition from Octodec Investments Limited announced in February 2026.

Name

AJP Group

Legal name

AJP Group Holdings

Website

https://ajpg.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AJP Group is a privately held, family-owned South African holding company that owns shopping centres in Gauteng and operates franchised OK retail stores, food brands, and in-house property services including security, storage, water and maintenance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kempton Park

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Franchised Retail Operations: AJP Group operates franchised retail stores including OK Foods, OK Express, and OK Urban supermarkets. Revenue generated from retail sales across multiple store locations in South Africa.
2. Property Development & Management: Development and management of shopping centers and commercial properties. Revenue from tenant rentals and property appreciation.
3. Food Division: AJP Foods franchises concepts including Hava Java coffee shops, Qualitas, Passion Patisserie, and BushFire brands.
4. Service Businesses: Various service subsidiaries including MAXD Security, DIY4U, Gozone Water, and Klik Storage generating revenue from their respective service offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AJP Group is a diversified South African holding company that operates franchised retail supermarket businesses (OK Foods, OK Express, OK Urban, OK Liquor), develops and manages a portfolio of shopping centres (AJP Properties including Killarney Mall, Steeledale Mall and Glen Curve), franchises food service concepts under AJP Foods (Hava Java, Qualitas, Passion Patisserie, BushFire), and provides ancillary business services through wholly-owned subsidiaries (MAXD Security, Klik Storage, Gozone Water, DIY4U, AJP Advance).

Product overview

AJP Group is a diversified, proudly South African holding company operating across franchised retail businesses, retail property development and management, and service industries. The group operates through multiple business divisions and subsidiaries including: AJP Properties (portfolio of shopping centres including Steeledale Mall, Killarney Mall, and Glen Curve Shopping Centre); AJP Retail (franchised OK Foods, OK Urban, and OK Express stores); AJP Foods (franchisor of Hava Java coffee shop and dinner concepts, and custodian of Qualitas, Passion Patisserie, and BushFire brands); AJP Advance (marketing and digital solutions); MAXD Security (specialised security services); Klik Storage (self-storage); Gozone Water (purified water products); and DIY4U (building maintenance and renovation services). The group also operates from its consolidated AJP Campus headquarters in Bonaero Park, Kempton Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OK Foods & OK Liquor (Franchised Retail Supermarket and Liquor Store) Franchised retail supermarket and liquor store offering premium convenience and value for money, featuring specialist in-store departments. Targets South African household consumers for everyday grocery, household essentials, and liquor purchases.
• OK Urban (Franchised Retail Supermarket) Curated, contemporary supermarket shopping experience offering essential groceries, fresh produce, bakery offerings, everyday meals, and convenient quick-stop sections with competitive pricing. Targets community shoppers seeking modern convenience.
• OK Express (Franchised Convenience Store) Express convenience store format franchise offering quick-stop shopping for everyday essentials. Operates at locations including OK Express Brentwood and OK Express Elgin as part of growing portfolio of OK franchise stores.
• Hava Java (Coffee Shop and Dinner Franchise) Coffee shop and dinner concept operated under AJP Foods franchise. A popular café offering gourmet coffee and food treats to employees, visitors, and consumers.
• Qualitas (Food Franchise Brand) Food brand under AJP Foods custodianship, part of the group's portfolio of food service concepts.
• Passion Patisserie (Patisserie Franchise Brand) Patisserie brand under AJP Foods custodianship, offering patisserie products to consumers.
• BushFire (Restaurant Franchise Brand) Restaurant brand under AJP Foods custodianship, offering restaurant dining experiences to consumers.
• MAXD Security (Specialised Security Services) Specialised security services company offering innovative and comprehensive security services to businesses and commercial property clients across South Africa.
• Klik Storage (Self-Storage Solutions) Self-storage solution offering flexible unit sizes and rental durations. Provides safe and secure storage for moving homes, renovations, or decluttering needs to individual and business customers.
• Gozone Water (Purified Water Products) Premium purified water brand specialising in purified, remineralised, and ozonated water. South Africa's fastest-growing water brand offering clean, affordable, high-quality purified water to consumers and businesses.
• AJP Advance (Marketing and Digital Solutions) Innovative marketing and communication solutions provider offering tailored strategies that enhance brand visibility and adapt to the evolving digital landscape. Provides marketing, printing, and digital solutions.
• DIY4U (Building Maintenance and Renovation Services) Building maintenance and renovation services provider offering plumbing, electrical, painting, and renovation solutions. Serves major shopping centres and commercial properties throughout Gauteng including Glen Balad Mall and Brentwood Mall.
• AJP Properties (Shopping Centre Portfolio Management) Manages a portfolio of shopping centres and commercial properties including Steeledale Mall, Killarney Mall, Glen Curve Shopping Centre, and Brentwood Park Mall. Focuses on the synergy between property ownership and retail operations, committed to enhancing communities through strategic development and innovative solutions. Provides leasing services to national retailers.
• Killarney Mall (Shopping Centre Asset) Regional shopping centre acquired by AJP Group from Octodec Investments Limited for R397.5 million, presenting turnaround potential for the group and leased retail space to national retailers.
• Steeledale Mall (Shopping Centre Asset) Shopping centre managed by AJP Properties undergoing major expansion. Enlarged site will offer over 30,000m² of prime leasable retail space, anchored by Shoprite.
• Glen Curve Shopping Centre (Shopping Centre Asset) Shopping centre in Edenvale undergoing revitalisation with OK Urban as anchor tenant opening 27 November 2025. Provides retail leasing space to national and independent retailers.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GreenYellowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Landmark 4.6 MW Solar PV partnership spanning 10 shopping centre sites across the East Rand. GreenYellow's SHIFT Production model allows AJP Group to adopt renewable energy without upfront capital expenditure. Construction commenced March 2025 at Brentwood Park Mall, with completion scheduled for November 2025. Project expected to yield approximately 120% cost savings over project lifespan through Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
• OK FranchisecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAJP Group operates as OK franchisee with multiple OK Foods, OK Express, OK Urban, and OK Liquor stores. Relationship includes operational support, brand guidelines, and supply chain from OK franchise system.
• Redefine PropertiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Stoneridge Centre development - Redefine Properties as property developer/owner working with AJP Group's OK franchise operations.
• Corporate Donors (Simba Chips, First Choice, KOO Food, Dairymaid, McCain South Africa, Bakers Biscuits, Sea Harvest, Parmalat, ACE Maize Meal, P&G, Nestlé, Clover, Way Better, LANCEWOOD, Nature's Garden, Love Albany Bread, Liqui Fruit, Dr. Oetker, Bartlet Eggs, Wealthmill, Maspark)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAJP Cares festive donation initiative - these FMCG companies contributed groceries and gift parcels for donation to over 800 underprivileged children in Ekurhuleni. Collaborative community initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ajpgroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AJP Group