Retail

Woolworths coming for SPAR’s lunch in a top South African security town for the rich

Bianke Neethling • 13 July 2026

Woolworths is set to open a store in Midstream Estate in Centurion later this year, which could put pressure on the existing SPAR store.

This comes as South African retailers are increasingly widening their offerings to appeal to both the lower and higher ends of the income spectrum.

Over the past few years, major retailers like Checkers and SPAR have been rolling out different store formats to target specific market segments in their areas, with luxury offerings popping up in wealthier locations.

One such wealthy location is Midstream Estate, located halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria in Centurion and falling under the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.

Midstream was designed by its developers, Bondev, in 2003 as a self-contained “town” where residents could access everything they might need without leaving the estate.

As such, the estate has its own hospital, schools (both primary and high school), restaurants, and shopping centres.

The estate’s primary shopping centre is Square@Midstream, which is home to a Steers, Mugg & Bean, pharmacy, and its anchor tenant: the Midstream SuperSPAR.

This SPAR location opened its doors to the public more than a decade ago, giving the Midstream community an essential focal point for fresh produce and all their other grocery essentials.

As a SuperSPAR, it is far larger than the retailer’s smaller-format stores, and offers everything from fresh produce to a butchery, cooked meals, frozen food, and toiletries.

This SuperSPAR has performed well, gaining recognition as the SuperSPAR of the Year in 2018.

In 2020, the SuperSPAR came under some pressure when a second SPAR location was opened in Midstream, this time at the Shopping on Ridgeway centre.

Located just 2 km from the SuperSPAR, the Midstream Ridge SPAR is formatted more around daily lifestyle convenience and quick stops.

It primarily served the newer eastern extensions of Midstream, collectively called Midstream Ridge.

However, having two locations so close to each other proved unsustainable, and in 2025, the Midstream SuperSPAR and Midstream Ridge SPAR were merged.

This coincided with a major refurbishment of the SuperSPAR, with the location updated to align better with the evolving needs of the Midstream community.

The refurbishment saw the SuperSPAR get its own Plato Coffee shop, a wood-fired pizza oven, and a dedicated fresh-flower shop.

The revamped store format is clearly aimed at attracting Midstream’s wealthier clientele. However, the SuperSPAR may soon come under more pressure.

Woolworths knocking on Midstream’s door

Despite many of Midstream’s residents falling into the higher-income bracket, South Africa’s most exclusive retailer had yet to open a location in the estate – until now.

In October 2026, Midstream will welcome a new shopping centre, Shopping on Eastway, which is set to include a Woolworths and Checkers as anchor tenants.

Marketing itself as a family-friendly retail and lifestyle precinct, Shopping on Eastway is currently under construction at the corner of Midstream Ridge Drive and Eastway Drive within the estate.

Other offerings at the centre will include a Doppio Zero, Bossa, and Kauai, as well as an optometrist, a laundromat, a spa, and a hairdresser.

Its two anchor tenants, Woolworths and Checkers, will mark the first time another JSE-listed grocery retailer operates in Midstream, with the estate having historically had only SPAR.

Given Woolworths’ acclaim for targeting the higher-income market segment, and the inroads Checkers has made in recent years in attracting this segment, SPAR is set to feel the pressure.

Despite not having operated physical stores in Midstream, both Woolworths and Checkers have been able to target the estate’s residents through their on-demand delivery platforms.

Checker’s Sixty60 and Woolworths’ Woolies Dash have ensured that the retailers have a client base in the estate, with their physical stores now set to supercharge these offerings.

By having brick-and-mortar stores in the estate, consumers who have made use of the online delivery services are now set to experience faster service or have the option to shop in person.

Woolworths is known for catering to a higher-income clientele, while Checkers’ Sixty60 offering is miles ahead of its competitors and the clear market leader.

Notably, SPAR also has its own on-demand delivery service, SPAR2U, to compete against the new threats.

While Woolworths has always been known to target the higher end of the market, Checkers and SPAR have only recently branched out with offerings targeted specifically to this segment.

SPAR recently opened its first Gourmet store in KwaZulu-Natal, while Checkers has also been reformatting some of its stores to better appeal to the higher end of the income spectrum.

It is clear that the battle for Midstream’s higher-income clientele will intensify in the coming years, with the addition of two major retailers poised to put pressure on the incumbent.

Daily Investor recently visited Midstream to see how the construction of Shopping on Eastway is progressing, with the centre set to open to the public on 1 October 2026.

The photos below were taken during Daily Investor’s visit in July.