I think South Africa has a small touch of an inferiority complex. An amazing country, with so much potential, but you just don’t always know it. At least I’m assuming this to be the reason why business leaders, government and excited shoppers have rolled over and prepared for a “corrective” rape from one of the Western world’s most voracious, parasitic, unethical companies.
Welcome Walmart! Please come and turn us into a global economy, please help us be more competitive and better resemble the great US of A.
If only.
The Economist recently reported that although trade unions are wary, “cash-strapped shoppers are happy. And so are South African businesspeople. Their country seems a little more welcoming, and its institutions a little more independent.”
Good luck with that. Trade union employees are cash-strapped shoppers.
Anyone who’s been paying attention for the last 20 years would have a hard time finding much good to say about this American behemoth of a company. Over the years Walmart has been embroiled in scandal after scandal, from discrimination against women to harmful labour practices to racism.
A 2004 report released by California congressman George Miller found that Walmart swindles employees and screws over the American public.
“There’s no question that Walmart imposes a huge, often hidden, cost on its workers, our communities and US taxpayers,” said Miller at the launch of the report. “And Walmart is in the driver’s seat in the global race to the bottom, suppressing wage levels, workplace protections and labour laws.”
In many circles in North America the word Walmart is anathema to anyone who respects human rights. Most of my friends wouldn’t dare enter a Walmart store, despite the “always low prices”. Too many people have suffered to keep those prices so low — I know I don’t want to suffer the guilt of shopping there.
Back when Walmart came to my Canadian hometown in 1994 we watched with horror as other successful retailers were put out of business and the retail sector was reduced substantially, limiting our choices as shoppers. It’s a bit like one of those invasive species that multiply and never go away. You have the jacaranda and it’s lovely and purple and blooms every year despite being alien. Walmart won’t be so pleasant once it gets its roots into South African soil.
It’s a strange choice, considering South Africa already has so many great chain retailers that already sell products at very reasonable prices. It was a bit like McDonald’s trying to sell the McFalafel in Israel. Why would hungry people buy a mass-produced falafel from a revolting, unhealthy, unethical fast-food enterprise when they can find a fresh, tastier version on every street corner? They won’t, which is why McD’s recently removed it from the menu after less than a year.
But menu items can be removed, certainly not invasive species like Walmart.
One of the things I love about South Africa is the shopping. My husband and I adore Woolworths. We spend hours there every weekend marvelling at the incredible selection of organic and free range goods available at the same price as regular items. This is not the reality in North America where such items are considered “exclusive” at retailers like Walmart.
Granted, we have more money than most South Africans, but I love that even cheaper shopping options like Pick n Pay, Fruit and Veg and Checkers all sell good quality, South African goods.
And in reality, South Africa already has its own version of Walmart: Game. A local distributor of shoddy products – but you can’t top those prices, right? Despite the prices, I know I’ve never bought anything from Game that didn’t fall apart within a few days. If you want the lowest prices, be prepared to get the cheapest products.
Of course Walmart executives have fallen over themselves making all sorts of promises about selling local goods, respecting local rules, etc. But why does South Africa need Walmart at all?
Next thing your leaders will be soliciting international advice on how to beautify the South African countryside and create better national parks, or opening your doors to American wine producers, or contracting foreign companies to help you successfully host an international sporting event.
South Africa has a lot going for it and these strengths should not be the focus of government, economic and cultural leaders. Why not focus on bringing in international help for those things you actually need to improve, or for those sectors that could use a little competition?
For starters, South Africa should hire someone to come in and improve government bureaucracy. What about help with crime, roads, police corruption, HIV and Aids, and the horrendous and increasing instances of rape and gender-based violence?
When it comes to retailers and business, South Africa could probably use international help with restaurants and eating-out options. Mail & Guardian editor Nic Dawes recently referred to Johannesburg as a “culinary desert” and he’s right.
My husband and I struggle to find restaurants or even fast-food shops where we can eat the same organic, free range, healthy goods available at Woolworths. We were recently looking for lunch at a large Johannesburg mall and walked from one end of the mall to the other, twice, incredibly hungry, and in the end decided we’d rather buy food and go home and cook it ourselves.
What about telecommunications? Wow, does South Africa ever need help there. I’ve complained endlessly about Telkom since arriving, going as far as to award it the prize for worst service I’ve ever received. Why don’t South Africa’s leaders let other companies compete and show Telkom how it should be done?
There are reasons why South Africa is inferior to other parts of the world and shopping options is not one of them. There are reasons why South Africa is greatly superior to other countries. My humble advice, stick to what you do best and get help with those problems you aren’t solving on your own.
Wow if you ever needed any proof that activist, lefties and self-proclaimed do-gooders are a bunch of middle-upper class snobs that just want to force their sensibilities on all of us (like no being seen in Game) – well here it is…
I hope this is not meant to be taken seriously.
Hopefully if more South Africans have jobs and a cheaper groceries we can start addressing the pressing problems of loosing Woolies, eating-out options, telecommunications, pot holes etc…
Oh and maybe the reason why Walmart forced the other shops to close in the area, was because they where more expensive and did not really provide the services people needed – not enough Woolies type shoppers and organinc shoppers…who was really getting raped?
I agree with the author that Walmart is often a toxic and cancerous presence in any community that welcomes it. I also agree that SA has more options and lower prices than any other country in which I’ve lived. But we must put the blame where it belongs.
In a recent documentary about Walmart (the name escapes me now) an executive stated that Walmart responds to the needs of its customers. If they demand organic or free range products, then they would stock it. We, as consumers must demand better quality products and, unless they are lying, they will deliver. Walmart did not become the world’s biggest retailer by accident. It did so by responding to the consumer need for low priced products and a one-stop shopping experience.
Walmart will do no good in SA. It doesn’t care whether its suppliers treat their workers ethically or being soically responsible. They care about providing what the consumers demand.
The answer is not to bar the company from our borders but to demand that they do better and try harder. If they want to stay in business, they would do right to listen. We just have to demand the right things.s
To dismiss the author’s points by labelling him a “self-proclaimed do-gooder” is to deflect awaay from and avoid the point. Let’s focus on the message, not the messenger.
Thank you very much for your article! Many South Africans are very ignorant of the parasite known as Walmart (as proven by blatantly hypocritical comments from ‘HD’). People are so easily conned by big business because they don’t understand the massive damage they cause. ‘Oh it will create jobs and provide cheap products’, they say… oh yes, and ‘eating 2 chocolate cakes every day will keep my taste buds very happy!’.
Why do I have to keep telling people? Do your own research! Stop making stupid judgmental comments and Google things that you don’t know about. Then you can make informed judgmental comments…
Come on people, the internet has never been cheaper in SA. Start using it as a tool.
Hi Danny
I would like to take the time to submit to you a long and well thought out response to this article but for now I will just say following points:
1. Your grasp on economics is very slim if I judge purely from what is written above.
2. Whenever a big company moves borders it needs to adjust to be able to appeal to its new consumer base… Americans were happy with cheap unhealthy products, South Africans are not.
3. Walmart will employ people from South Africa to run their subsidiaries down here this means different people will be in charge of key strategic decision not the same American fat cats who practiced so unethically.
4. South Africa has very strict labour laws, making it almost impossible to exploit workers as was done in USA. South Africa also has better consumer protection (e.g. new CPA).
5. Lastly don’t be so quick to dismiss large retailers like Woolworth’s they can wrestle with Walmart and come out on top. Seems that you have a bit of that “inferiority complex” towards SA which you were referring to.
Thanks Danny, I’ve been saying just what you’ve said since the first whisper of Wal-Mart was hissed into the SA ether. BEWARE and be careful, SA…fighting Wal-Mart isn’t for sissies.
@Anastasia: He refers to himself in his profile as a do-gooder. I don’t think it is too much to then claim he is a “self-proclaimed do-gooder”? But, point taken.
@The Human. Fully agree, but I guess bombarding you with research showing the other positive aspects of Walmart is not going to convince you. There are lots of that data available…but like George W. Bush, oil companies and other pet hates of the left the mere mention on Walmart brings out visions of an Evil Empire.
I don’t think that Walmart is innocent, but I also believe in backing up your claims with proof and good economics. Many of the accusations aimed at Walmart are simply myths and plain wrong.
You can afford to pay R22 for a cauliflower head at Woolies. They majority cannot afford R8 from Shoprite.
‘Next thing your leaders will be soliciting international advice on how to beautify the South African countryside and create better national parks, or opening your doors to American wine producers, or contracting foreign companies to help you successfully host an international sporting event. ‘ They’ve done all these, you haven’t been here long enough to know.
‘South Africa should hire someone to come in and improve government bureaucracy. What about help with crime, roads, police corruption, HIV and Aids, and the horrendous and increasing instances of rape and gender-based violence?’ If the state would only ask, there are plenty in SA who can do this admirably.
SA needs a jolly good shake-up and if it falls to Walmart to do just that, both workers and business may benefit from it. What a pleasure it would be to have non-Walmart employees thankful for their jobs and trying harder not to lose them.