Did you know that Walmart has been operating in South Africa since 2011?
That year, they purchased 51% of local retailer Massmart, and eventually took the company private in 2022, clearing the path for a more hands-on restructuring and opening the door to a fresh retail format bearing its own brand.
This purchase has opened up a huge market for Walmart with Massmart's 411 stores serving the country's population of 63 million.
Field Agent also operates in South Africa, so we called on our Springbok colleagues to visit the first two Walmart branded stores in the country, which opened last month. We thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast these new stores with the new stores being launched by Walmart Canada.
The first store to open, located at Clearwater Mall, Roodepoort on Johannesburg’s western side, has been conceived as what the company dubbed a compact expression of the group’s global formula, with a broad range of groceries, chilled and frozen foods, plus an edited mix of apparel, household goods, electronics and toys.
Walmart executives described the debut store as a demonstration of renewed commitment to the market and an attempt to deliver stable, low prices without the promotions-led tactics common in South African retail.