The global company looking to take on Checkers Sixty60

South Africa’s first Walmart opens its doors to the public this weekend, on 22 November, along with a 60-minute delivery service that will rival that of Checkers Sixty60.

This is according to MyBroadband, which received a tour of the new store ahead of its opening at Clearwater Mall.

All customers within a 5km radius of the store can browse products on the Walmart app and get them delivered within one hour. 

Those who don’t live as close can still shop for products using the app. The new store promises low prices and an entry into the quick commerce space, where Checkers Sixty60 dominates. 

Retail in South Africa has made a dramatic shift to online services. The Supply Network Africa Magazine said conservative estimates for the number of delivery bikes on the roads each day in South Africa are around 50,000.

The Walmart app will be launched in South Africa on 22 November as well, coinciding with the Johannesburg store opening. 

Walmart has promised a modern, spacious shopping destination, “designed to meet the evolving needs of South African customers.”

“Customers will enjoy a wide and carefully curated assortment of quality products ranging from groceries and household essentials to electronics and apparel — all offered at Walmart’s signature Every Day Low Prices,” Walmart said.

The store will feature local products as well as international brands, including confectionery and beverages from the US, Dubai, and the UK, including Sour Patch Candy and Pickle in a Pouch.

“With the opening of our Clearwater store, customers on the West Rand will be able to shop on their own schedule,” said Miles van Rensburg, Massmart CEO and President.

“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 or worrying about constantly changing prices.”

They will also have the option to get these affordable products delivered to their doorstep in sixty minutes. 

Under 60-minute delivery

Walmart, which owns Massmart, is entering the quick delivery industry at a time when Shoprite, which owns Checkers and Checkers Sixty60, is dominating the industry.

Checkers has been at the frontline of developments in online shopping, being among the first retailers to open a dark store – a warehouse dedicated solely to fulfilling online orders – in 2022.

Checkers Sixty60 delivers from 694 stores across the country. However, it has recently said it is struggling to keep delivery drivers employed. 

Speaking at the Annual General Meeting, CEO Pieter Engelbrecht said that it is struggling to get and keep local drivers because there is no motorcycle culture in the country, according to the Citizen.

It was alleged that its poor retention rate was due to low wages, leaving drivers with as little as R2,800, but Shoprite refuted this, saying the amount is incorrect, but without giving the actual amount. 

In the recent Vertical Wage Gap Disclosure Practices in the JSE Top 40 report by Just Share, Shoprite was found to be the company with the biggest wage gap between its lowest and highest earners. 

Shoprite disclosed that its lowest-paid employees earn as little as R5,972 per month. This is despite its CEO, Pieter Engelbrecht, being the highest-paid retail CEO in the country, earning over R83 million in 2024.

Nevertheless, Checkers Sixty60 is largely credited for revolutionising the quick retail space. In September, the Shoprite group revealed that it sold R18.9 billion worth of products through the Checkers Sixty60 platform in the last year, up to June 2025.

This is a 48% year-on-year increase. The number equates to almost 40% of the entirety of Woolworths Foods’ business, including its “Now Now” delivery service.

Checkers Sixty60 has more than an 80% market share of on-demand grocery delivery in South Africa, according to Moneyweb.