South Africa’s largest grocery retailer, Shoprite Holdings, has confirmed plans to exit the Ghanaian market, concluding over two decades of operations. The move is part of the company’s broader strategy to scale back its pan-African ambitions and refocus on its domestic market.
In a trading statement released for the 52-week period ending June 29, 2025, Shoprite announced that it had received a binding offer in June for the sale of its Ghanaian assets, which include seven trading stores and one warehouse. The company labeled the transaction as “highly probable,” officially classifying its Ghana operations as discontinued.
“The Group received a binding offer during June 2025 to dispose of the assets and liabilities in relation to the operations in Ghana… The sale is deemed highly probable,” the statement read.
Shoprite first entered Ghana in 2003, and its anticipated exit will mark the end of over 20 years of retail activity in the country. The buyer has not been publicly disclosed, but the deal is expected to proceed pending final regulatory approvals.
This development comes amid Shoprite’s ongoing retreat from several African markets, having already exited Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, the DRC, and Madagascar in recent years. In the same statement, the retailer also revealed that it had signed an agreement on June 6 to sell five stores in Malawi, subject to approval from Malawian regulators.
Once hailed as Africa’s leading food retailer with a presence in around 15 countries, Shoprite’s regional downsizing reflects mounting economic challenges across various markets—such as currency fluctuations, inflation, high import duties, and dollar-based rental obligations—that have hindered profitability.
Shoprite’s exit from Ghana underscores a significant reshaping of Africa’s retail landscape, with the company pivoting back to its core operations in South Africa amid persistent financial headwinds.
