Walmart has launched its first store under the Walmart name in South Africa, located at Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg.
The move introduces the US retailer’s primary banner to the South African market for the first time.
Walmart has been present in the country for some years through its wholly owned subsidiary Massmart, which operates chains such as Makro, Game and Builders Warehouse.
The Roodepoort outlet is the first Walmart-branded store on the African continent and has created more than 80 jobs.
The store is working with 15 local small and medium-sized enterprises as part of its supply chain.
The retailer flagged its intention to introduce Walmart-branded stores in South Africa in September 2025, following its first Growth Summit in April, which convened suppliers from 12 African countries.
Walmart is aso rolling out a 60-minute online delivery service from the new store.
The offering places it in direct competition with Checkers’ Sixty60 on-demand platform, operated by South African grocery group Shoprite.
The Roodepoort location adds a new retail choice for residents in the West Rand area and marks Walmart's first direct presence in the country under the Walmart brand, aligning with its broader objective to extend its international reach and serve a growing consumer base in Africa.
Executive vice-president Andrea Albright added: “Opening the first Walmart store in South Africa is about much more than a business milestone. It is a commitment to helping customers save money and live better by consistently delivering the lowest total cost for the basket of products they need.”
In November 2025, Walmart announced that it will transfer the listing of its common stock and nine bond classes from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to the Nasdaq stock market on 9 December 2025, while retaining its ticker symbol WMT.
The retailer also recently appointed John Furner as its next president and CEO, effective from 1 February 2026.
Furner will replace Doug McMillon, who has been at the helm since 2014.
McMillon will step down on 31 January 2026 and remain on the board until June, acting as an adviser to Furner through the fiscal year 2027.
