Walmart plans third branded store in South Africa for early 2026
SOUTH AFRICA – Walmart has announced plans to open its third branded store in South Africa, with a new outlet scheduled to begin trading in Boksburg on Johannesburg’s East Rand during the first quarter of 2026.
The planned Boksburg store follows the retailer’s initial entry into the market in late 2025, when it opened its first two fully branded South African outlets at Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort and at Fourways Mall in Johannesburg.
According to the company, the upcoming Boksburg location will continue Walmart’s everyday low price model while being adapted to local shopping patterns and demand.
While Walmart has not yet confirmed the precise site or floor format, the store is expected to stock groceries, fresh produce, household essentials, general merchandise and consumer electronics similar to the assortments offered at its earlier openings.
The expansion is being carried out through Massmart, the South African retail group that Walmart has operated for more than a decade alongside existing banners such as Makro, Game and Builders.
Walmart acquired a controlling stake in Massmart in 2010, completed full ownership in 2022 and later removed the company from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
After prolonged performance challenges within parts of the Massmart portfolio, particularly the Game chain, Walmart said in September 2025 that it would introduce its own branded stores in the country.
Fourways launch set the pace
The second Walmart store officially opened at Fourways Mall in November 2025, just days after the Clearwater Mall debut, with operations starting at 08h00 following a ribbon-cutting led by store manager Lunghani Lincoln Mathebula.
Walmart said the Fourways outlet created 80 permanent jobs, including opportunities aimed at young people entering the workforce for the first time.
The company reported strong foot traffic at Clearwater Mall during its opening days, with high demand for imported food and branded consumer items influencing the product mix at Fourways.
Products made available from the first day at Fourways included imported soft drinks such as Fanta Strawberry, Fanta Peach, and Dr Pepper, alongside American confectionery brands such as Pop-Tarts, Swedish Fish, Nerds, and Sour Patch Kids.
The stores also carry premium meat cuts, among other things.
Digital and delivery focus
Customers living within a five-kilometre radius of the Fourways store can browse products and arrange delivery within 60 minutes through the Walmart Africa mobile application.
Looking ahead, the Boksburg store is expected to introduce similar rapid delivery services as part of Walmart’s approach of linking physical stores with online fulfilment.
Walmart International executive vice president Andrea Albright said the initial South African launches were designed to provide a consistent low-cost option for everyday essentials rather than relying on short-term promotions.
Industry observers are expected to watch the performance of the Boksburg outlet closely as Walmart continues testing its long term retail strategy in South Africa through 2026.
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