Makro’s been scheming, and shoppers will love it

Massmart is the retail group behind Makro, Game and Builders.

It has a long-running plan that could reshape how South Africans shop at their local mall, and the company has stayed notably quiet about it.

Massmart is testing small-format Makro stores, roughly 3,000 square metres in size.

These are built directly inside existing Game store locations.

how this plan actually started

Massmart first revealed the concept in April 2024, converting select in-mall Game stores into small-format Makro outlets as a trial.

Group corporate affairs head Brian Leroni explained at the time that these stores would be “situated in the Game store site,” but “merchandised and branded as a small concept” Makro store.

This would give shoppers easier access to Makro’s range without needing a full-sized standalone store nearby.

The first planned conversion targeted the Game store at East Point Shopping Centre in Boksburg.

That specific site, though, has remained closed since July 2025, without the promised Makro conversion materialising.

why Massmart insists this isn’t about closing Game

Despite persistent speculation, Massmart has repeatedly denied that the trial is about phasing out Game entirely.

“We would like to emphasise that our objective is to make Makro stores more accessible to a wider market through a small, mall-based Makro store concept,” Leroni said, adding that there would be no job losses tied to the project.

He did concede, however, that customer demand for the small-format concept has grown stronger than the company initially expected.

The picture has since become more complex with Walmart’s entry into South Africa, which has already replaced some former Game locations, including sites in Roodepoort and Fourways, adding further uncertainty to which stores will ultimately become Makro, Walmart, or stay as Game.

I always find it fascinating watching a retail group quietly test the waters like this before going official, hey.

Whatever shape it takes, more accessible Makro locations sound like a proper win for us shoppers.

Would you welcome a smaller, more convenient Makro near you?

Let us know in the comments below…