News Digest | 25 June 2026 - Trendtype Africa and Middle East
Qatar, LuLu Group commits QR500mn to three new hypermarket openings. Egypt, Monoprix in talks to enter market through TMT franchise arrangement. Saudi Arabia, Trolley opens three Riyadh stores with three Kuwait branches to follow. UAE, The Coolrator opens at DIFC Gate Avenue. Cameroon, Chocolat Rouge to launch first locally-made chocolate bars in July 2026. Zimbabwe, Edgars relaunches Express store chain targeting value end of market
Qatar: LuLu Group commits QR500mn to three new hypermarket openingsLuLu Group is proceeding with a QR500mn ($137mn) retail investment in Qatar, with three new hypermarkets planned for Baraha Town in Abu Hamour, Al Waab, and Qetaifan Island, expected within eight to ten months. Three further projects are in advanced negotiations. LuLu currently operates 24 stores in Qatar and recently reached one million members in its Happiness loyalty programme. Egypt: Monoprix in talks to enter market through TMT franchise arrangementEgypt’s Minister of Supply, Sherif Farouk, met TMT for Multi Trading & Distribution — the operator of Circle K branches in Egypt — to discuss the CARRY ON project, which modernises state supply outlets into retail centres. The talks also covered the possibility of introducing French hypermarket chain Monoprix to Egypt through a franchise arrangement. Saudi Arabia: Trolley opens three Riyadh stores with three Kuwait branches to followTrolley General Trading Company has opened three Riyadh stores: two at Sidra Compound by ROSHN and one at Sahl Station on King Fahd Road, bringing its network to 230 stores. Three Kuwait branches are in preparation at fuel stations 165, 159, and 158 in West Abdullah Al Mubarak under a seven-year award from Kuwait National Petroleum Company. UAE: The Coolrator opens at DIFC Gate AvenueMulti-brand concept retailer The Coolrator has opened at Gate Avenue in Dubai’s DIFC, stocking Brazilian and Latin American fashion, beauty, homeware, and gifts. The opening edit features Amir Slama, Misci, Mixed, Lilly Sarti, and Lethicia Bornstein. The store was designed by Rio-based KUBE Arquitetura, whose prior clients include Saint Laurent and Hugo Boss, and was founded by Renata Cavalcante. Cameroon: Chocolat Rouge to launch first locally-made chocolate bars in July 2026Chocolat Rouge, built near Obala by French chocolatier Olivier Bordais, will release its first Cameroon-made chocolate bars in July 2026, announced at a 19 June meeting with Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. The 3,000 sq metre factory cost approximately €1. 5mn. Bordais intends to target China’s duty-free access scheme for African products, effective 1 May 2026. Zimbabwe: Edgars relaunches Express store chain targeting value end of marketEdgars Stores Limited’s revival of its Express stores in Zimbabwe is attracting cost-conscious consumers, countering the impact of second-hand clothing markets. The strategy aims to expand retail presence by offering affordable new clothing, competing with second-hand options. The government supports this with Statutory Instrument 59, banning second-hand clothing imports to bolster local industry. This regulatory backing aims to rejuvenate the domestic textile sector and curb foreign waste dumping. Nigeria: Pure Dairy Herds announces $250mn dairy farm investment in Ogun StateCattle and milk production company Pure Dairy Herds has announced a $250mn dairy farm in Ogun West Senatorial District, with land acquisition already complete and a groundbreaking expected within two to three weeks. The company already has existing operations in Ogun State. The investment is expected to grow beyond the initial $250mn as the operation scales. Angola: Adega Mayor records 41% value growth and 15% volume growth in first five months of 2026Portuguese wine brand Adega Mayor, part of the Nabeiro Group, recorded 41% value growth and 15% volume growth in Angola in the first five months of 2026, announced at Grande Prova Vinhos de Portugal in Luanda. Angola represents roughly 25% of the brand’s exports, with around 40,000 bottles sold annually across modern retail, hotels, restaurants, and informal channels. South Africa: Woolworths Group restructures leadership and operating model under new CEO Sam NgumeniWoolworths Group has announced a leadership and organisational restructure under new CEO Sam Ngumeni, who succeeded Roy Bagattini in June 2026. Chief Customer Officer Spencer Sonn and FBH CEO Nuholt Huisamen have departed. Chan Pillay takes over the Food Division from 1 July; Woolworths Ventures is absorbed into the core business, with WEdit moving to FBH and WCellar into Food. Qatar: Qatar Post relaunches CONNECTED international parcel forwarding service with expanded country coverageQatar Post has launched a new version of CONNECTED, an international parcel forwarding service giving Qatari customers dedicated shipping addresses in the US, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan for retailers that do not ship directly to Qatar. Purchases are consolidated and forwarded with home delivery and tracking. Shipments earn Avios redeemable through Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Syria: Silal signs investment and procurement agreements at Damascus Food ExpoUAE-based agricultural trading group Silal has signed two agreements with Syria’s Ministry of Agriculture at Damascus Food Expo 2026. The first covers feasibility studies, contract farming, and sorting and packaging centres. The second is a procurement deal for at least 16,000 tonnes of Syrian potatoes for export to the UAE, with plans to extend to tomatoes, watermelons, and other vegetables. UAE: AD Ports Group raises stake in Global Feeder Shipping to 81% in Dh1. 1bn dealAD Ports Group has exercised a call option to raise its stake in Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping (GFS) from 51% to 81%, paying Dh1. 1bn through debt and asset monetisation at the Dh3. 67bn enterprise value set in 2024. GFS transported 2. 8 million TEUs across 89 ports in 54 countries in 2025 and has generated cumulative EBITDA above Dh1. 8bn. West Africa: Daystar Power commissions 6. 9MW of solar capacity across four Nestlé sitesRenewable energy firm Daystar Power Group has commissioned solar systems totalling 6,884 kWp across four Nestlé manufacturing sites in West Africa: 3,447 kWp across two facilities in Abidjan, 2,547 kWp at the Tema factory in Ghana, and 890 kWp at the Dakar facility in Senegal. The partnership began with a single site before expanding across three countries. Senegal: German investors pledge €100mn for cold storage infrastructure to reduce post-harvest lossesGerman investors committed €100mn ($114mn) to cold storage development in Senegal, announced on 22 June 2026 during President Faye’s official visit to Germany. The investment targets post-harvest losses in horticultural crops — estimated at 30–40% of annual production and costing Senegal around 50bn CFA francs ($89. 9mn) per year. Implementation timelines and responsible parties have not been disclosed. Cameroon: World Bank approves $1. 12bn programme to rehabilitate the Douala-Bangui trade corridorThe World Bank has approved a $1. 12bn programme to rehabilitate the Douala-Bangui trade corridor. Phase one, worth $525mn, allocates $425mn to Cameroon and $90mn to the Central African Republic for road rehabilitation, axle-load stations, and logistics hubs. The corridor handles over 80% of CAR’s external trade; transport costs reach $270 per tonne with transit times of nine to twelve days. Nigeria: Champion Breweries Q1 2026 pre-tax profit falls 51% year-on-yearBrewer Champion Breweries posted a Q1 2026 pre-tax profit of N839. 2mn, down from N1. 7bn in Q1 2025, as finance costs of N2. 1bn offset revenue growth of 70% to N14. 3bn. The board has accepted the resignation of MD Dr Inalegwu Adoga and appointed Malolan Sampath as successor from 1 September 2026. Sampath previously served as MD of Unique Beverages in Angola. Disclaimer:This content is provided for informational purposes only. View our fullDisclaimerfor details.