CLICKS LAUNCHES NEW LOW-STORE CONCEPT IN TEMBISA

Clicks is expanding into township communities with a new store concept called KwaMakhi, with its first store opening in Tembisa, Mega Mart.

The name KwaMakhi roughly means “at my neighbour’s” and the idea is simple: bring everyday health, beauty and personal-care products closer to where people live, so customers can shop without travelling to a shopping centre.

Clicks CEO Bertina Engelbrecht says KwaMakhi will focus on affordable prices, quality and convenience, particularly for customers who often buy from spaza shops.

The stores will be smaller than regular Clicks branches, measuring around 280–350 square metres, and will not have pharmacies or clinics.

KwaMakhi will also offer smaller pack sizes, making it easier for customers who may not have enough money to buy larger quantities at once. Around 30% of the products will initially be Clicks’ own brands, with this potentially increasing to 40%.

Clicks plans to open 10 KwaMakhi stores by the end of the year as part of an initial R30 million trial.

The retailer says it has identified around 2,000 locations that its traditional Clicks stores cannot currently reach.

The company also plans to introduce refill stations for some personal-care products from around October.

For Tembisa residents, the launch means another formal retail option is now available closer to home, with Clicks specifically targeting the township market.

The move comes as major retailers increasingly look to expand their presence in South Africa’s growing township economy, estimated by Clicks at around R900 billion a year.