Company: Woolworths
Country: South Africa
Sector: Apparel/Footwear Retail
CEO: Sam Ngumeni
Website: https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Cape Town, South Africa
Founded: 1931
Valuation/Revenue: $4.29bn revenue and $2.74bn market value (African Business Top 250, 2025 ranking); the company has separately reported R81.0bn in turnover and concession sales in recent group disclosures
Woolworths Holdings Limited is a South African multinational retail group operating food, fashion, beauty, and homeware stores across Africa and Australasia. Founded in 1931 in Cape Town, Woolworths (unrelated to the historic UK or US chains of similar name) has grown into one of Southern Africa’s most recognisable premium retail brands, with 1,591 stores as of 2025, 89% of them in Africa and 11% in Australia.
What Does Woolworths Do?
Woolworths operates two main reporting divisions: its South African business, spanning food retail (groceries, prepared meals) and fashion, beauty, and home (clothing, cosmetics, homeware), and its international Country Road Group, an Australian-based clothing and lifestyle retailer with around 630 stores primarily across Australia and New Zealand. The group also owns Absolute Pets, South Africa’s largest pet store chain with 180 stores, and operates WCafe, a coffeehouse chain with roughly 220 locations integrated into its retail footprint. Woolworths previously owned Australian department store chain David Jones, which it sold to Anchorage Capital Partners in December 2023, marking a significant strategic retreat from that business after years of underperformance.
Is Woolworths Legit?
Yes. Woolworths Holdings is a long-established, JSE-listed retail group with nearly a century of operating history in South Africa, roughly 32,000 employees as of 2025, and a large multi-format store network spanning food, fashion, and homeware retail.
How Big Is Woolworths?
Woolworths ranked 38th on African Business magazine’s Top 250 Companies in Africa for 2025, with revenue of approximately $4.29bn and a market value of $2.74bn. The group has also reported R81.0bn in turnover and concession sales in company disclosures, broken down as 69% food, 27% apparel/beauty/home, and 4% financial services, reflecting food retail’s position as its largest single revenue driver.
Who Is the CEO of Woolworths?
Sam Ngumeni was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of Woolworths Holdings effective 1 June 2026, succeeding Roy Bagattini, who stepped down at the end of May 2026 after six years leading the company. Ngumeni’s appointment was notable as he had spent nearly 30 years with the Woolworths group prior to becoming CEO, suggesting continuity in strategic direction following an internal promotion rather than an external hire.
Is Woolworths Publicly Traded?
Yes. Woolworths Holdings Limited is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with a broad institutional and retail shareholder base.
How Old Is Woolworths?
Woolworths was founded in 1931, making it approaching a century old, and has expanded from a single Cape Town department store into a multi-format retail group spanning food, fashion, homeware, and pet retail across two continents.
How Does Woolworths Compare to Its Competitors?
In South African food retail, Woolworths competes with Pick n Pay, Shoprite/Checkers, and Spar, generally positioning itself at the premium end of the market. In fashion and homeware, it competes with Mr Price, Truworths, and The Foschini Group. Its Australian Country Road Group business competes with local Australasian fashion retailers, having previously also competed in department stores via David Jones before that business was sold in December 2023.
What Has Woolworths Been in the News For Recently?
The most significant recent Woolworths news is its 2026 CEO transition, with Sam Ngumeni succeeding Roy Bagattini effective 1 June 2026 after Bagattini’s six-year tenure, alongside continued strategic focus on its core South African food and fashion businesses following the December 2023 sale of loss-making Australian department store David Jones to Anchorage Capital Partners — a move widely seen as sharpening the group’s focus on its more profitable core operations.
What Is Woolworths’ Sustainability and Financial Services Business?
Woolworths has long promoted its “Good Business Journey” sustainability programme, covering responsible sourcing, packaging reduction, and ethical trade commitments across its food and fashion supply chains, a positioning that has become central to its premium brand identity in the South African market. The group also operates Woolworths Financial Services, offering store credit cards and other consumer finance products that support its retail sales, a common model among South African retailers seeking to capture more of the customer relationship beyond a single transaction. With around 32,000 employees as of 2025, Woolworths remains one of the larger private-sector employers in South African retail.
Links
Website: https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
What does Woolworths do?
Woolworths Holdings operates food, fashion, beauty, and homeware retail in South Africa, plus the Country Road Group fashion business in Australia/New Zealand and the Absolute Pets and WCafe chains.
Who owns Woolworths?
Woolworths Holdings Limited is publicly traded on the JSE with a broad institutional and retail shareholder base; there is no single controlling shareholder.
Who is the CEO of Woolworths?
Sam Ngumeni became Group CEO effective 1 June 2026, succeeding Roy Bagattini.
Is Woolworths South Africa related to Woolworths Australia/UK?
No, South Africa’s Woolworths Holdings is an entirely separate company from the historic UK Woolworths chain (which closed in 2008) and from Australia’s Woolworths Group supermarket chain, despite the shared name.
How much revenue does Woolworths make?
Approximately $4.29bn per African Business magazine’s 2025 Top 250 ranking, with group turnover and concession sales reported at R81.0bn in recent disclosures.
Did Woolworths sell David Jones?
Yes, Woolworths sold the Australian department store chain David Jones to Anchorage Capital Partners in December 2023.