Retail giant Walmart plans to open third SA store in first quarter of 2026

According to local media reports, this is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2026. It will be the third Walmart store in the country, following the opening late last year of a store at Fourways in Johannesburg, and at Roodepoort, west of the city. 

Walmart’s entry into South Africa through its local subsidiary Massmart is the first phase of a multi-year strategy. Massmart already has prominent retail brands in its stable, among them Makro, Game and Builders. 

Local media reports suggest Walmart’s Boksburg store will occupy retail premises previously vacated by Game.  

Strategy for South African launch phase 

Walmart’s strategy for its SA launch phase promotes daily low prices, exceptional customer experiences and meaningful community impact. 

A press statement issued in November 2025 emphasised the ‘low-price’ strategy and quoted Miles van Rensburg, Massmart CEO and President, as saying: “Around the world, Walmart’s everyday low prices help millions of customers have access to quality products at affordable prices, every day.”  

In South Africa, Walmart is up against the likes of Shoprite – the dominant local player which has multiple retail brands competing at different levels of the market – and Pick n Pay and Spar. 

The US retailer entered the country in 2022, when it fully acquired Massmart. 

Globally, Walmart has more than 10,750 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.