Massmart Holdings Limited () is a South African firm that owns local brands such as Game,

Makro Makro is a Dutch international brand of warehouse clubs, also called cash and carry stores. Makro was founded by SHV Holdings, a Dutch conglomerate based in Utrecht in partnership with German company Metro AG, with the first warehouse club ...

, Builder's Warehouse and CBW. It is the second-largest distributor of consumer goods in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, the largest retailer of general merchandise, liquor and home improvement equipment and

wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. I ...

r of basic foods. As of 31 October 2022, Massmart operated 411 stores in South Africa and 12 other Sub-Saharan countries. Its head offices are in the Massmart House in

Sandton Sandton is an upscale commercial and residential district north of the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. It forms part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. The name of the city came from the combination of two of its suburbs ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

History

Massmart was founded in 1990, beginning with the acquisition of six Makro stores. It listed on the

JSE Limited JSE Limited (previously the JSE Securities Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) is the largest stock exchange in Africa. It is located in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, after it moved from downtown Johannesburg in 2000. In 2003 ...

on 4 July 2000 at R12.50 per share. Since its founding, Massmart has grown both organically and by acquisition. The firm acquisition history includes: * 378 Shield members in March 1992 * 20 Dion stores in May 1993 * 14 CCW stores in June 1998 * 26 Game stores in July 1998 * 6 Jumbo stores in April 2001 * 22 Browns and Weirs stores in July 2002 * 8 Builders Warehouse stores in February 2003 * 3 De Lay Rey stores, 14 Servistar stores, and 34 Federated Timber stores in June 2005 * 6 Cambridge Food stores in December 2008 * 3 Buildrite stores in June 2009 * Fruitspot (wholesaler of fresh fruits and vegetables) was acquired in January 2012 * Rhino Cash & Carry Group in March 2012

Divisions

Massmart's stores are organized into 4 divisions. The stores included in each division are as follows: * Massdiscounters ** DionWired (operates in South Africa) ** Game (operates in South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya - beginning May 2015) * Masswarehouse ** Makro (operates in South Africa, two stores in Zimbabwe were sold in fiscal year 2011) ** The Fruitspot (operates in South Africa) * Massbuild *
Builders Warehouse
(operates in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique) ** Builders Express (operates in South Africa) ** Builders Trade Depot (operates in South Africa and Mozambique) ** Builders Superstore (operates in South Africa) ** Kangela (operates in Mozambique) * Masscash ** CBW (operates in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland) ** Jumbo Cash and Carry(operates in South Africa and Botswana) ** Trident (operates in Botswana) ** Cambridge Food (operates in South Africa) ** Shield (operates in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland)

Walmart acquisition

In November 2010,

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

, the American super chain

conglomerate Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to: * Conglomerate (company) * Conglomerate (geology) * Conglomerate (mathematics) In popular culture: * The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes ** ...

made a bid to acquire majority shareholding (51%), in Massmart. At that time, the offer was valued at approximately R:17 billion (approximately US$2.54 billion or £1.54 billion). On 18 January 2011, Massmart shareholders voted in favour of Walmart's offer of R148 per share. The South African Competition Commission Tribunal gave its approval of the acquisition of 51% of the firm in May 2011. Shortly thereafter, in June 2011, Walmart completed the purchase of 51% of the company's stock. In August the South African ministries of trade and industry, economic development and agriculture and fisheries lodged an appeal to the decision of the Competition Tribunal's decision to allow the merger with minimal conditions, this follows an appeal filed earlier by SACCAWU, a local labor union. In March 2012 the appeals court dismissed the case by the governmental ministries, but acknowledged that there were legitimate concerns about the effect of the deal on small producers and employment. The appeals court decision effectively put an end to the legal challenges to the merger.

Major shareholders

Below is the group's largest shareholders as at December 2016:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Massmart Supermarkets Wholesalers Food retailers Companies based in Sandton Retail companies of South Africa 1990 establishments in South Africa Retail companies established in 1990 Companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Walmart 2011 mergers and acquisitions South African companies established in 1990