International retail giant taking over shopping malls in South Africa

MR DIY is rolling out stores across South Africa, taking retail space in three shopping malls in recent months as it pursues an aggressive mall-first strategy.  

Currently, the Malaysian retail giant is opening a new store every month as it gauges interest in its offering in South Africa before accelerating its expansion. 

The retailer has opted for an interesting strategy, focusing on brick-and-mortar stores rather than the typical aggressive online opening of other companies. 

MR DIY operates over 5,000 stores across Asia and Europe and entered the South African market in 2025 with a mall-first strategy.

This has led to it opening stores in three malls in South Africa, with its first store in Menlyn Mall, coupled with one in Irene Village Mall and another in Boardwalk Richards Bay. 

The opening in Boardwalk Richards Bay marks the first expansion for the brand outside Gauteng, where it has enjoyed a strong start. 

MR DIY South Africa’s head of business development Jamie Williams explained that the retailer is looking to capitalise on the shift to value in the country. 

“We are seeing strong demand from consumers across all income groups for affordable essentials. Even higher-income shoppers are looking for value as they become more conscious about their spending,” Williams said. 

“This is changing how landlords think about tenants. They are starting to prioritise retailers that offer consistent footfall and broad appeal, rather than just prestige.” 

As a result, there has been an increase in interest in MR DIY’s offering from landlords in South Africa, who are looking to attract the brand to their malls. 

This presents significant competition to South Africa’s traditional hardware retailers, such as Builder’s Warehouse, Build it, and Cashbuild. 

Typically, these stores are standalone entities that service customers from individuals doing basic home DIY to building contractors. 

MR DIY is notably different in its expansion into local shopping malls across South Africa, bringing hardware retail into a new format and closer to customers. However, this comes with limitations, as the retailer is focused solely on home DIY.

Williams explained that the brand’s mall-first approach is also about ensuring that customers engage with the brand regularly to understand its offering. 

“Being in a super-regional mall gives you credibility. It opens doors with other landlords and helps consumers understand what the brand is about. From there, you can expand into suburban and rural areas,” Williams said. 

Location, logistics, and local relevance

Moving into shopping malls also gives MR DIY another distinct advantage in its ability to use its stores as ‘mini-warehouses’. 

This eases logistics constraints, making it cheaper for the brand to have an extensive offering that is close to customers and suppliers. 

Crucially, Williams said MR DIY is benefitting from its differentiated offering through increased interest from landlords looking to diversify their store mix. 

Typically, South African shopping malls are dominated by anchor tenants like Checkers, Woolworths, Clicks and Dis-Chem, and very few have substantial hardware or DIY stores. 

Differentiated offerings tend to drive repeat visits to malls and longer dwell times, which are key for landlords in improving the efficiency of existing malls.

Rather than relying on a handful of large anchors, many centres are now building ecosystems of smaller, high-performing tenants that collectively drive traffic and sales.

“Once they see the store in action, they get it. We have had a surge in interest from landlords who are looking to refresh their tenant mix and bring something new into their centres,” Williams said. 

Shopping malls also give MR DIY relatively easy access to widespread visibility, increased accessibility, and proximity to transport hubs. 

In Richards Bay, for example, MR DIY’s store is located near a taxi rank and train station, ensuring a steady stream of foot traffic from commuters and local shoppers.

This also gives MR DIY the opportunity to offer highly localised offerings based on specific community needs, locations, and demographics. 

Stores near universities may carry more stationery and tech accessories, while coastal locations might lean into seasonal goods and homeware.

A typical MR DIY store has over 17,000 products spanning hardware, household goods, décor, stationery, toys, and tech accessories. 

“We are thrilled to have expanded our global presence into South Africa, representing our first expansion into the African continent,” Williams said.  

“South Africa is a dynamic and growing market, with increasing demand for affordable, high-quality household and lifestyle products.” 

Williams has previously outlined plans for MR DIY to have a total of six stores across the country by the end of 2025.