Sefalana Holdings has invested close to half a billion pula in new stores and upgrading old ones in 24 months ending April 2025, according to figures shared by Finance Director Mohamed Osman.
During the presentation of the results for the 12 months ending April 2024, he explained the reasoning plainly:
“We are investing now for medium and long-term growth. We need to put ourselves in a good position for the future.”
In the year ending April 2025, he said the company spent an extra P249 million on capital projects, adding to P207 million the year before. This steady outflow of cash is part of a strategy to deepen Sefalana’s presence across Botswana and neighboring countries.
Sefalana expanded its footprint by opening 12 new stores in the year ended April 2025, with another half-dozen planned for the next. This expansion, Osman said, is vital for maintaining “market presence and competitive positioning.”
More Visits, Smaller Carts
Footfall — the number of customers walking into stores — is rising at the company’s stores. Figures shared by the company show that:
Botswana: Footfall increased by 11.6%
Namibia: Footfall grew by 9.3%
Lesotho: Footfall rose by 8%
But spending per visit tells a different story. While more customers walked through the doors, the amount each shopper spent changed only slightly:
In Botswana, average spending per visit rose modestly by 0.6%.
In Namibia, it increased a bit more, by 2%.
Meanwhile, in Lesotho, average spending per visit actually fell by 4%.
This shows that although more people are shopping, they are generally spending carefully — a reflection of changing buying habits.
“The consumer basket sizes are under pressure. Buying patterns are changing all the time. Shoppers are shopping more frequently, but the basket sizes are decreasing or remaining fairly static. And the focus continues on value products and essentials,”
Osman said.
In other words, people visit often but spend carefully — choosing basics over luxuries.
Sefalana’s sales growth comes from two places: new stores and existing ones. When counting all stores, turnover grew by 13% in Botswana, 18% in Namibia, and 7% in Lesotho.
Steady Growth Even Without New Stores
While opening new stores—Botswana added six, Namibia five, and Lesotho one—helps attract new customers, the existing stores are also selling more than before. In Namibia, especially, the higher growth without new stores shows shoppers are spending more in familiar stores.
Botswana: +10% growth
Metro Namibia: +11%
Lesotho: +4%
A Closer Look by Country
Botswana remains the heart of the business, contributing about two-thirds of group revenue. Profit Before Tax (PBT) climbed from P306 million toP340 million. The company’s Cash & Carry division makes up over half the revenue and over a third of the profits, serving customers from 134 outlets.
Metro Namibia is no small player either, with profit growing 25% to P123 million. The number of stores grew from 27 to 32.
Lesotho, the smallest market, is showing promise. From 4 stores, it added one more and plans to open its first retail outlet in August 2025. It now accounts for 9% of group revenue and saw profits surge 45% to P29.5 million.
A Growing Top Line
With the new stores, the group recorded a record revenue of P11.2 billion, up 15% from the previous year. The group believes this growth is impressive given inflation in the region — between 2% and 5% — and follows a 7% rise the year before.
