Walmart to open KZN and Western Cape stores soon
- Dylan Naidoo
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
By: Dylan Naidoo
Walmart’s recent press release suggests the store giant may open stores in both KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Western Cape sooner than expected. The announcement comes shortly after Massmart, a Walmart brand and parent company of Game, announced the closure of 20 Game stores across KZN, Gauteng and Western Cape. In the press release, Walmart announced that 21 new Walmart stores will be built in KZN, Gauteng and Western Cape, indicating that the Walmart stores may replace the existing Game stores. This wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, as the Walmart stores in Clearwater and Fourways Mall previously used to be Game stores.
The rise of American store brands in South Africa
Walmart has had an eye for the South African market for a long time, first acquiring a majority stake of Massmart back in 2011. Walmart then took full control of Massmart in 2022, securing Game as a store under their control. With growing recognition of Walmart in South Africa, they opened their own physical store in 2025. Walmart is not the only American store entering South Africa, as in 2024 Amazon entered the South African market with their online store, competing with local competition such as Takealot and Bash. This entry has created a worrying problem in that local wholesalers may be at risk against the American giant. This possibility has already been proven with Amazon, mostly undercutting Takealot in pricing and offering free delivery for a majority of their products. The same can be seen with Game, except in this instance, Walmart could potentially completely replace Game.
The new potential Walmart stores
Walmart reported great results from their Clearwater and Fourways Mall launch back in 2025. This success was confirmed in their statement: “Since opening our first Walmart store in Clearwater Mall, we have been pleased to see independently published total price comparisons confirming that Walmart has delivered a low-price advantage on a comparable trolley of everyday essentials, including bread, milk, eggs, rice, sunflower oil and sugar.” However, when looking back at the Game store closures, one store of interest was Game at the Pavilion in Westville, Durban. Considering this Game store is closing and the strategy of Walmart in South Africa, one can speculate this Game store may soon be transformed into a Walmart, marking their entry into KZN.
Walmart’s entry in the South African market can be seen as a wakeup call for local wholesalers. Competition from one of America’s biggest wholesalers is enough to disrupt the market, as seen with Amazon’s e-commerce take over, which now threatens Takealot. With Walmart’s planned expansion to KZN and Western Cape, it is clear that the wholesaler is here to stay and the competition needs to get more driven.
