South African retail giant Shoprite Holdings has announced plans to exit Ghana after 20 years, marking another step in its gradual withdrawal from several African markets.
In a statement released Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the company revealed it had received a binding offer in June for its seven stores and one distribution centre in Ghana. The sale, which Shoprite described as “highly probable,” is part of a broader restructuring strategy.
Shoprite also confirmed the signing of an agreement on June 6 to sell its five stores in Malawi. This transaction is subject to regulatory approval from Malawi’s Competition and Fair Trading Commission and the Reserve Bank.
According to Reuters, the move aligns with Shoprite’s ongoing efforts to consolidate operations and refocus on its core South African market, which remains its most profitable.
Once the continent’s leading supermarket chain, Shoprite expanded rapidly across Africa, outpacing competitors like Pick n Pay and Walmart-owned Massmart. At its peak, it operated in about 15 countries.
However, it has faced growing challenges in several regions, including currency volatility, high inflation, costly import duties, and leases priced in U.S. dollars.
These hurdles have led the company to pull out of Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent years.
In Ghana, Shoprite struggled with increased competition from local and regional retailers, as well as operational inefficiencies. The company also scaled back investment in its foreign branches in favour of strengthening its position in South Africa.
Despite the planned exits, Shoprite remains optimistic about its core business performance. The company expects headline earnings per share to grow between 9.4% and 19.4% for the 52 weeks ending June 29.
Sales from continuing operations are projected to rise by 8.9% to 252.7 billion rand (approximately $14 billion).
Following the announcement, Shoprite’s shares fell 2.6% on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange by Tuesday morning.
