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Walmart doubles down on Africa despite a decade of frustration

Walmart doubles down on Africa despite a decade of frustration

NQOBILE DLUDLA IN 2011, U.S. retail giant Walmart Inc made a bet on Africa, buying a majority stake in South African retailer Massmart in what many investors saw as a step toward dominating the continent's vast untapped market. It didn't go according to plan. More than a decade later, Massmart's balance sheet is burdened with debt, its books are deep in losses and it's drowning in lease obligations on commercial properties. From its late entry into e-commerce to an ill-fated foray into fresh foods, Walmart's African journey over the last decade has been a string of missteps, compounded by economic headwinds and…
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