Woolworths has exited Ghana, closing its two stores in Accra. The South African retailer also exited Nigeria in 2013 and follows Truworths in leaving Ghana. Woolworths no longer has any stores in West Africa but is seeking to expand in East Africa.

Woolworths currently has stores in 11 African markets outside South Africa: Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, and Mauritius. In Ghana it had two stores: an older store on Accra’s Liberation Rd and a newer 555m² store in Accra’s West Hills Mall, which opened in 2014. Neither store sold fresh food.

Woolworths also owns Australian department store chain David Jones, which it acquired for $2.1bn in 2014. It has been forced to write down its investment t0 $965m.

Woolworths’ exit stands in some contrast with Shoprite and Massmart’s Game.

In 2018 Massmart made a step change in Ghana. The discounter, which launched its first Game store in Ghana in 2007, opened three stores over an 18 month period 2017-2018. However, Massmart plans no more store openings beyond its existing four stores in Ghana through to end 2020. It also has no plans for any additional stores in Nigeria.

Shoprite, which opened in Ghana in 2003 with three supermarkets, has just seven stores in the country.

Ghana will see a spate of new shopping mall openings which will reshape the retail landscape:

• The 12,000m² The Exchange mixed use development in Accra
• The 8,300m² Edge mall in Adenta, north east of Accra
• The 11,700m² Takoradi Mall, due in 2019 and to be anchored by Shoprite

South African supermarket chain Pick n Pay, which is also moving into Nigeria, was slated to anchor each of these new developments.