Woolworths will open two new cafes in Pretoria and one takeaway outlet in Johannesburg. The move extends a food-service strategy that already spans more than 230 cafe and coffee sites nationwide. It also deepens the retailer’s presence in two of South Africa’s busiest retail corridors.
Two new Pretoria cafes anchor the rollout
The Pretoria sites will open at Eastway Centre and Castle Gate. Both will operate as Woolworths Cafes — the group’s coffee, breakfast and light-meal format. These outlets typically sit inside or beside the retailer’s food stores.
The format serves a clear commercial purpose. It captures incremental spending on coffee and quick meals. It also extends customer dwell time and drives additional visits beyond the weekly grocery run. For mall operators, a Woolworths Cafe strengthens the food-service offer at the centre level.
Woolworths has not disclosed capital investment figures for the three new outlets. However, the scale of the existing network — reported by BusinessTech — shows the group has built this channel steadily over several years.
What does the Now Now format signal for investors?
The third Gauteng site is a Now Now store at Broadacres in Johannesburg. Now Now is Woolworths’ fast-casual takeaway concept. It operates as a standalone mall outlet, reaching customers who may not enter the full supermarket.
The Broadacres opening follows a Now Now launch at Somerset Mall in September 2026. That opening brought Now Now’s dedicated mall network to 10 outlets nationwide. The format also runs as express modules inside or near Woolworths Food stores in cities including Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Meanwhile, broader retail conditions appear supportive. South African retail sales rose 3.4% year on year in July 2026, according to official data. Pretoria and northern Johannesburg offer high-density mall infrastructure and concentrated consumer footfall — conditions well suited to convenience-led food formats.
Supply chain and operational considerations
For suppliers, the expansion supports demand for prepared meals, bakery goods, beverages and packaged ingredients. Both formats depend on reliable cold-chain logistics and consistent service delivery. Scaling across multiple outlet types adds operational complexity.
Food services add customer frequency while using existing retail locations and supply networks. Returns will depend on sales density, rent levels and labour costs. Execution across different formats remains the key variable.
The three Gauteng sites test whether Woolworths can grow convenience-led food services at scale without diluting its premium brand. Investors should watch opening dates, early customer volumes and any management commentary on capital allocation between cafes, takeaway sites and other food-service formats in the year ahead.
Quick answers
Two Woolworths Cafes will open at Eastway Centre and Castle Gate in Pretoria. A Now Now takeaway outlet will open at Broadacres in Johannesburg, all in the second half of 2026.
Now Now is Woolworths’ fast-casual takeaway format. It operates as a standalone mall outlet and as express modules near Woolworths Food stores, with a dedicated mall network of 10 outlets nationwide as of September 2026.
Woolworths operates more than 230 cafe and coffee sites across South Africa, making food services a significant and growing part of its retail offer.
