BIG South African food and furniture retailer Shoprite Holdings on Tuesday lifted annual headline earnings 27% and said it planned to accelerate its African expansion to counter subdued trading at home. ”For the next 18 months, we plan 15 stores for Africa, 12 for South Africa, 21 in Egypt and some 60-odd franchises in South Africa,” said Managing Director Whitey Basson. That represented a capital commitment of R800-million ($95 million), most of which would be met from internal sources. ”Shoprite’s greatest opportunities for expansion lie outside our borders,” the group said in a statement showing headline earnings a share at 58 cents in the year to end-June from a restated 45,5 cents. This compares to the 56 cents expected by analysts polled by Multex. Basson attributed the higher headline figures – which exclude exceptional items and their tax effects to better use of space and cost control, and a reduction in stock losses. – Reuters