H&M makes senior leadership appointment for South African market

International fashion retail chain H&M has appointed Ricardo Valente Da Conceicao as General Manager for South Africa, effective from 1 August 2026. 

Based at the chain’s local head office in Cape Town, he will lead local operations with responsibility for driving growth and profitability while strengthening the fashion brand’s local relevance across product assortment and brand communication. 

Da Conceicao began his H&M journey more than 12 years ago as a Store Manager Trainee in London. Since then, he has built a broad international career across retail operations, expansion, sales and human resources. 

This includes holding leadership roles in markets such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Chile, South Africa and, most recently, Turkey. 

He has a long-standing connection to South Africa, having previously served as Area Manager before returning as Interim Sales Manager. During this time, he developed a strong understanding of the local market, customers, teams and operations, H&M says in a statement. 

Da Conceicao returns to Africa from serving as Sales Manager for H&M’s Turkish sales market. Here he led operations across Turkey, Georgia and Kazakhstan through a dynamic period of growth. 

“I’m delighted to be returning to South Africa, a market that is close to my heart and one that offers exciting opportunities for growth,” he says. 

“H&M has built a strong business here with an exceptional team, and I look forward to working together to further strengthen our customer offering, deepen our local relevance and continue delivering sustainable, profitable growth.”  

Since entering the South African market in 2015, H&M has expanded to 29 stores and employs close to 900 people. The brand also reaches customers through its online marketplace presence on Superbalist.