French retailer Leroy Merlin is set to expand its store base in South Africa and will open its first stores outside of Gauteng shortly, with stores lined up for the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
The company recently opened its sixth store in South Africa, in Alberton, Ekurhuleni. This adds to the existing stores in Boksburg, Centurion, Fourways, Greenstone, and Little Falls.
At the launch event, Leroy Merlin South Africa CEO Frank Dufourq added that the company will open its first Cape Town store in 2027, aiming to at least triple its store count by 2030.
Before the Cape Town launch, those in KwaZulu-Natal will also get a new Leroy Merlin, with a new store currently under development and set to launch by the end of the year.
The store in Durban will cost R220 million, with its flagship in Cornubia forming the first step in Leroy Merlin’s broader expansion into KZN.
The development is expected to create 2,500 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs, with the overall development injecting R300 million in initial private capital.
“We are proud to welcome Leroy Merlin to our City through this significant strategic investment,” said EThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba when the development was announced.
“The commencement of construction on their new 10,000 sqm retail facility will not only transform this area into a vibrant construction site but will also create much-needed job opportunities for the local community.”
The store is the first anchor investment for the larger Cornubia Business Park precinct, an initiative expected to create over R2.5 billion in top-structure development value once the whole node is built out.
While the brand remains heavily focused on expanding its local store base, it has already moved into the digital space via the launch of a local app in September 2025.
A company with over 100 years of history
Leroy Merlin’s history dates back to 1923, when Adolphe Leroy and Rose Merlin sold surplus American goods to aid the nation’s reconstruction following the First World War in Northern France.
After experiencing substantial success, the husband-and-wife team began offering home-building kits in their store, along with other building materials.
The company continued to expand and opened additional warehouses in northern France after the Second World War.
The retailer was then rebranded from its original name, Stock Américain, to Leroy Merlin in the 1960s.
Those good times would not last forever, and the company would eventually face financial difficulties.
The Mulliez family, which also owns Decathlon, acquired a stake in Leroy Merlin in 1979 and took full control in 1981.
With a strong focus on the DIY market, the company saw its first international expansion to Spain in 1989.
The company now operates in 13 countries. It expanded into South Africa in 2018 with the opening of a large store in Greenstone.
“We arrived in South Africa in 2016, with a deep respect for the country, for its people, and for its potential,” said Dufourq.
“And as a French company, we understand that South Africa faces unique challenges like unemployment, inflation, energy, and water outages.”
Dufourq said the brand has differentiated itself from its South African competitors by pursuing three missions to make home improvement more accessible.
This includes helping people always have water and electricity at home, keeping them cooler in summer and warmer in winter, and helping them renovate their homes fully or partially with sustainable, affordable options.