Roodepoort, South Africa – Walmart marked its official entry into the African market on Saturday with the launch of its first store in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, drawing long queues of shoppers eager to explore the United States retailer’s offerings.
The launch drew more than one hundred people who waited for hours outside the store to gain access to products rarely found in South Africa, including Drew Barrymore designer counter top air fryers, Labubu dolls and Dr Pepper soft drinks. Many local shoppers said the arrival of Walmart brought a new level of variety and pricing to a highly competitive retail space that is closely watched in Eswatini due to cross border shopping patterns.
Refilwe Mabale told Reuters she had travelled to the store specifically to buy a Labubu children’s toy that has been difficult to find in the country. Others took advantage of the Black Friday weekend. Among them was Tshepo Rambau who hoped to secure discounted tech items such as WiFi extenders.
Walmart confirmed it will also offer a sixty minute online delivery service which places it directly alongside the Checkers Sixty60 on demand platform operated by Shoprite, a retailer with a strong presence across Southern Africa and a key supplier for shoppers coming from Eswatini.
Andrea Albright, executive vice president of Walmart, said the opening represents the company’s commitment to providing an affordable shopping experience and helping customers manage the full cost of essential goods.
The company said the new store has created 80 jobs and is working with 15 small and medium enterprises in South Africa as part of its expansion strategy.
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