Retail

The R1 billion shopping mall with four Woolworths stores in South Africa’s richest area

Bianke Neethling • 14 July 2026

Sandton Gate Central shopping centre in Johannesburg boasts four different Woolworths stores – a Woolworths Food Market, a WEdit, a WCafe, and a WCellar.

While this may sound strange, it forms part of a broader trend of South African retailers diversifying their store formats to tailor their offerings to each location’s unique needs.

This trend is noticeable across South Africa’s four major JSE-listed retailers. For example, Shoprite operates through Shoprite, Checkers, Hyper, OK, and other store formats.

At Sandton Gate Central, Woolworths has taken the trend to a new level, operating four different store formats within the same shopping centre.

Sandton Gate Central is a newer shopping centre in South Africa’s richest square mile, opened to the public in March 2026. It was developed by Adcon and forms part of the mixed-use precinct with the same name.

Sandton Gate Central is the area’s retail arm. The development is valued at R1 billion and boasts 12,000 m² of retail space across two levels, featuring national retailers and bespoke restaurants.

The centre’s attractions include a Checkers, Dis-Chem, Kauai, Bootleggers, PNA, Milky Lane, Miladys, Levingers, Fix Tech, Execuspecs, and Gary Rom Heat.

Sandton Gate Central sits on Winnie Mandela Drive, a key north-south route that connects the Sandton central business district to Randburg, Bryanston, and Fourways.

This puts the shopping centre in a central location close to major hubs such as the Sandton Gautrain Station, George Lea Park, and Sandton City Shopping Centre.

Sandton Gate Central is anchored by a Checkers, Dis-Chem, and Woolworths, which has four different formats in the same centre. Woolworths’ four formats at Sandton Gate Central are as follows:

Woolworths Food Market
WEdit
WCafe
WCellar

Given that Woolworths acquired Absolute Pets in April 2024, it can even be said that the retailer has a presence across five stores at Sandton Gate Central.

Woolworths branching out to different formats

Sandton Gate Central provides the perfect example of how Woolworths has diversified its physical footprint in recent years.

Previously, most South African retailers operated under one to two store formats. However, this has now changed, with retailers introducing different store formats depending on their location.

There are many reasons for this, including the evolving needs of South African shoppers. Modern consumers tend to take more frequent trips but buy smaller baskets.

Discovery Bank and Visa found that, since 2021, grocery shopping frequency has increased by nearly 40%, while the average spend per basket has declined by 8%.

This means stores dedicated to their specific offerings, rather than a single store with all products, are better aligned with how consumers shop.

For example, shoppers who are only looking to buy a bottle of wine can go directly to WCellar to find what they need, rather than navigating a hyper-format store with thousands of products.

When it comes to liquor stores specifically, regulations may also come into play when a retailer decides to separate its grocery and liquor stores.

In South Africa, grocers are often legally prohibited from selling a full range of alcohol. Selling alcohol may also come with restrictions like specific closing times.

By opening a dedicated, walled-off liquor store, retailers can satisfy the legal licensing requirements while still selling both groceries and alcohol at the same shopping centre.

Another reason for a more diverse physical footprint is to establish dominance over competitors at a specific shopping centre, preventing them from moving or expanding into the same location.

By taking up multiple leases in the same centre, Woolworths is essentially “blocking out” its direct competitors while keeping its brand front of mind for shoppers.

In Woolworths’ case, keeping its offerings separate may also add to the brand’s premium and exclusive feel, as the retailer has more direct control over how each product type is presented.

For example, Woolworths can display its clothing in a better-lit environment than it can present its liquor products, rather than being restricted to one store’s layout, design, and lighting.