International giant launches in South Africa with lower prices than Checkers and Pick n Pay
Walmart launched its first store in South Africa on Saturday, 22 November 2025, with significantly lower prices than its competitors, like Checkers and Pick n Pay.
The first Walmart store on South African soil is located at Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort, Johannesburg.
The new Walmart store introduces a modern, spacious shopping destination designed to meet the evolving needs of South African customers.
Massmart, which operates Walmart in South Africa, said the store stocks a wide and carefully curated assortment of quality products.
These products range from groceries and household essentials to electronics and apparel at Walmart’s signature Every Day Low Prices.
It added that customers can expect low prices every day, exceptional customer experiences, and meaningful community impact.
“Walmart’s promise to South African customers is clear: to provide high-quality products at prices they can trust,” Massmart said.
“With the opening of our Clearwater store, customers on the West Rand will be able to shop on their own schedule,” said Massmart CEO Miles van Rensburg.
“They can trust that they will always get an Every Day Low Price on their basket of purchases without having to wait for short-term promotions.”
Following the launch of the Walmart store at Clearwater Mall, Massmart plans to launch another one in Fourways Mall.
Fourways Mall is the largest shopping mall in South Africa, situated in the heart of the bustling Fourways area.
It is known for its extensive selection of stores, restaurants, and entertainment options. However, it has struggled with foot traffic in recent years.
Walmart will be a major draw card for the Fourways Mall and will undoubtedly significantly increase the number of shoppers.
Walmart is cheaper than Checkers and Pick n Pay
During the media briefing at the Walmart store at Clearwater Mall, Massmart COO Dries D’Hooghe shared the results of a pricing comparison.
He said their competitors were going all out with promotions to make their offering more attractive ahead of Walmart’s launch in South Africa.
Massmart conducted a pricing comparison of a basket of goods, where Walmart easily outperformed other retailers.
The basket of goods at Walmart costs R1,680. The two competitors, which Massmart did not name, were significantly more expensive.
Competitor 1 charges R1,713 for the same bundle of products, and the second competitor charges R1,868.
However, this takes promotions into account. Without promotions, the competitors’ prices increased to R1,895 and R1,901.
“This is not a gimmick. These are real till slips, and this is what Walmart’s Every Day Low Price means,” he said.
“We will keep this price every day of the week and every day of the month. We take out all the hassle to get the lowest prices,” he said.
“This is the concept that made Walmart great and the number one retailer in the rest of the world.”
He added that, over time, people in South Africa will realise that Walmart does not offer promotions but instead provides the lowest prices.
Daily Investor did its own comparison of Walmart’s prices compared to those of Checkers and Pick n Pay, and it confirmed D’Hooghe’s claims.
It showed that a basket of goods from Walmart is cheaper than that of major South African retailers like Checkers and Pick n Pay.
Inside Walmart at Clearwater Mall
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