Ricardo Valente Da Conceicao has been appointed General Manager for H&M South Africa, effective 1 August 2026. Based at H&M South Africa’s head office in Cape Town, Da Conceicao 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, holding leadership roles in markets including 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. Most recently, as Sales Manager for H&M’s Turkish sales market, he led operations across Turkey, Georgia and Kazakhstan through a dynamic period of growth, bringing that experience to his new role in South Africa.
“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. 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,” says Da Conceicao.
Since entering the South African market in 2015, H&M has expanded to 29 stores nationwide and employs close to 900 colleagues across its local operations. The brand also reaches customers through its online marketplace presence on Superbalist.