The first Woolworths Food store of its kind opens in South Africa’s avocado capital

Woolworths Food has officially opened a new store at Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre in Limpopo, the first shop of its kind in the region.

The store opened on Thursday, 29 October 2026, and occupies premises previously used by Food Lovers Market.

This is the first standalone Woolworths Food store in Tzaneen, which only has one other Woolworths store in Tzaneng Mall.

The opening adds to the centre’s existing retail offering, which includes Checkers, Cape Union Mart, Mr Price Home, PEP Home, Miladys and several restaurants.

Located at the corner of Voortrekker Street and the R71, the new Woolworths store forms part of the broader expansion of Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre.

The centre is undergoing a major expansion that will add more than 20,000 m² of retail space and introduce several national retailers.

Resilient Properties’ head of retail, Suzan Tempel, announced the expansion in September 2025. At the time, she said building plans had been approved, and construction was expected to begin within 18 months.

The plans included a new Pick n Pay, Coricraft and @home stores. Tempel said the development would reduce the need for residents to travel to Polokwane to access these retailers.

The development will include an expansion of the existing Checkers store into a Checkers Hyper, alongside new tenants.

The centre is part of Resilient REIT’s property portfolio, in which the company holds a 45% interest. The property has a gross lettable area of 9,263m².

Woolworths invests in its Food business

The opening comes as Woolworths places greater focus on its Food division, which remains one of its strongest-performing businesses.

In its results for the 52 weeks ended 28 June 2026, the retailer reported that Food revenue increased by 5.55%.

However, the division’s profit before tax declined by 1.13%, which reflects pressure on its margins despite continued sales growth.

Woolworths attributed some of the pressure to higher fuel costs and investment in supply-chain capacity.

The group also announced plans to reorient its business around the Food division, with its other segments positioned as adjacent businesses.

This follows weaker performances in its Fashion, Beauty and Home (FBH) and Australian operations. FBH revenue increased by 4.32% in the 2026 financial year, but its profit before tax fell by 45.63%.

Country Road Group’s revenue declined by 1.79%, although its before-tax loss improved by 80.93%.

While Woolworths’ operations may be under pressure, the retailer is betting on its food business, which continues to expand.

Its on-demand delivery business, Woolies Dash, increased revenue by 19.6% during the year. Online sales accounted for 7.3% of Woolworths Food sales in South Africa.

However, the group’s strategy faces growing competition from retailers such as Shoprite’s Checkers, which has expanded its premium grocery offering and built a substantial online delivery business through Sixty60.

Commenting on the group’s latest annual results, Sanlam Private Wealth equity analyst Kgomotso Mokabane said the greater focus on Food makes strategic sense because it provides frequent customer interactions.

However, he cautioned that additional investment does not automatically translate into profitable growth.

Woolworths will need to defend its position as competitors strengthen their convenience, fresh produce and premium food offerings.

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Photos of the new Woolworths Food at Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre

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