Top South African retailer looking to close stores across South Africa

Massmart is considering closing 20 Game stores in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal as part of a bigger strategy.

MyBroadband reported that a Game employee highlighted the closures as he faced potential retrenchment at one of the targeted stores.

The employee said that game stores in  Amanzimtoti, Ballito, Richards Bay, Pietermaritzburg, and The Pavilion were set to be shut down.

Another staff member at one of the affected stores said that 21 stores were earmarked for potential shutdown in the next few months.

Massmart management advised employees that some Game stores will be converted to Walmart stores, with staff transferred accordingly.

The company subsequently confirmed to MyBroadband that it was considering the closure of around 20 stores.

The closure of these Game stores was subject to engagement with the potentially affected employees.

Massmart said the stores represented a small part of its total Game store portfolio, which consists of 122 sites in South Africa.

Game has been operating in KwaZulu-Natal for over five decades, starting with its first-ever store on Smith Street in the city centre in 1970.

Its co-founders, Alan Hellman and Jack Schaffer, aimed to replicate the US department store model with products for the entire family.

The retailer also stood out for being the fastest to market with new products, at a time when global supply chains were not as well established as today.

Game went through several companies’ hands before being acquired by Massmart for R755 million in 1998.

By 2020, the retailer had 150 stores in 12 African countries. However, it has long struggled to remain relevant amid the growing popularity of e-commerce.

Many of its key products, like TVs, home appliances, and consumer electronics, are among the most popular items for online shoppers.

Game has been struggling in South Africa

Game has been a challenging asset for Massmart for several years, despite the brand’s iconic status in the South African retail space.

The decline of Game’s dominance in the South African market is attributed to several structural and competitive factors.

It has struggled to carve out a specific niche and has battled with identity and profitability in a rapidly changing retail landscape.

It moved away from its fresh and frozen food experiment in 2020 to focus back on clothing basics and general merchandise.

However, it found it difficult to compete with specialized retailers like Shoprite, Checkers, and Mr Price.

E-commerce has also hurt the company. Players like Temu and Takealot have eroded Game’s market share in clothing, electronics, and home appliances.

Game has been battling with foot traffic in large-format stores in major metros like Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Before Massmart delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 2022, Game was reporting annual losses exceeding R1 billion.

To address these issues, Massmart has tabled numerous options, including replacing Game stores with small-format Makro stores or converting them to Walmart stores.

Converting some Game stores to Walmart has already started. The first two Walmart-branded stores in South Africa were converted Game stores.

The Walmart stores in Clearwater Mall and Fourways Mall, which launched in late 2025, both replaced former Game sites.

It should be noted that Massmart is not abandoning the Game brand, as many of the stores continue to perform well.