Shoprite, South Africa’s largest supermarket chain, is leaving Ghana and Malawi as part of its ongoing retreat from underperforming African markets.
In Ghana, the company received a binding offer in June for its seven stores and warehouse. In Malawi, it signed a sale agreement for five stores in early June, pending regulatory approval.
Currency depreciation, high inflation, and an energy crisis eroded consumer spending and pushed up costs. In Malawi, Shoprite has faced multi-year losses. It sold one store in 2022 and struggled to meet sales targets. Trading conditions were tough, and its operation never recovered.
Shoprite has now exited seven African countries—the last being DR Congo in 2022—and now focusing squarely on its home base, South Africa.