Retail giant Walmart is preparing to make its long-awaited debut in South Africa, and it’s coming with a bold promise: to bring its world-famous low prices to local shoppers.
The American powerhouse, founded in 1962 by brothers Sam and James ‘Bud’ Walton in Arkansas, has grown from a single discount store into a global retail empire. Today, Walmart operates over 10 700 outlets across 19 countries, employing more than 2.1 million people worldwide.
Now, the company is taking a major step into the African market, with its first branded South African stores expected to open before the end of 2025, as per Business Tech. According to Walmart International CEO Kath McLay, the new stores will stock everything from groceries and home essentials to fashion and tech, with a focus on locally sourced goods.
‘By partnering with South African suppliers and entrepreneurs, Walmart will bring its signature Every Day Low Prices and global standards to the market,’ McLay said. She added that official opening dates will be revealed in October, but sites are already being developed.
Massmart CEO Miles Van Rensburg said the new stores are designed around affordability and trust. ‘Every rand matters when it comes to price. This balance of quality and everyday low prices enables us to build customer trust,’ he explained.
Walmart’s trademark Every Day Low Price (EDLP) model will anchor its South African strategy, ensuring that customers always find consistent bargains without waiting for special promotions. ‘Our Every Day Low Prices mean you can count on low prices today, tomorrow, next week, and the week after that,’ the company said in a statement.
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The first symbol of Walmart’s arrival appeared on 6 October 2025, when the first Walmart Spark logo lit up inside a store, a clear signal that the retail titan’s entry is well underway.
Industry experts say Walmart’s entry could drastically reshape the country’s retail landscape, challenging giants like Pick n Pay and Checkers with aggressive pricing and an enhanced in-store experience.
This isn’t the first time Walmart has made waves in South Africa. In 2011, the company acquired a majority stake in Massmart, the parent company of Makro and Game,for R16.5 billion, following a behind-the-scenes battle with legendary Shoprite CEO Whitey Basson.
Basson revealed in his authorised biography Whitey: The Rise and Rule of the Shoprite King that Walmart initially had its sights set on buying Shoprite or Pick n Pay, a move he saw as a major threat. ‘I planned to get Walmart off our back and prevent them from buying Pick n Pay, because that was my biggest fear,’ Basson said. ‘So, I talked to the Walmart team for almost two hours to convince them that Makro was their best option.’
His strategy worked, and for a decade, Walmart’s pricing power was kept in check by Massmart’s listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), which limited its ability to slash prices aggressively.
However, after Massmart delisted from the JSE in 2022, Walmart now has full control, and no restrictions on how far it can go with its discount strategy.
That could spell trouble for local retailers but huge savings for consumers. Whether it’s groceries, electronics, or household items, Walmart’s arrival means one thing for South Africans, a retail price war is coming, and shoppers will win.
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