Shoprite and Boxer going head-to-head in South Africa’s R180 billion spaza shop market

• Shoprite and Boxer are both seeking to supply businesses already operating in the country's informal market, with Shoprite's eKasi stores and Boxer's Bulk Online offering overlapping with informal retail zones.
• The informal market is valued at R180 billion, comprising 100,000 spaza shops and 500,000 mobile traders, with spaza shop owners and informal traders being more price-sensitive than typical customers.
• Boxer CEO Marek Masojada stated that the relationship between spaza shop owners, informal traders, and traditional retailers is more complicated and symbiotic, requiring retailers to adapt to the informal market's unique characteristics.