How much you would have made if you invested R1,000 in Woolworths 25 years ago
Woolworths is one of South Africa’s largest and best-known retailers, and an investment in the company 25 years ago could have earned a person over R13,000.
Woolworths first opened in Cape Town in 1931, long before it became a publicly listed company, and was founded by Max Sonnenberg.
Sonnenberg introduced dynamic store policies to set the retailer apart from competitors and, three years after its founding, expanded with a second location in Durban.
After this first expansion, Woolworths continued to expand its footprint and is today one of the largest retailers in the country.
The retailer stepped into the financial services sector in 1994 through a partnership with England’s Barclays Bank.
This partnership enabled Woolworths to offer targeted financial products and services through its store card.
Today, Woolworths’ financial services sector is a partnership with Absa, with the banking giant owning 50% and one share.
One of Woolworths’ largest expansions came in 1997, when it acquired a controlling interest in the Country Road Group, which it took full control of in 2014.
Since this first acquisition, the retail giant has expanded into several brands, with a particular focus on fashion and beauty.
These brands include Trenery, Witchery, Mimco, and Politix, all of which came after the initial Country Road Group acquisition.
In April 2024, Woolworths entered the pet market by acquiring a majority stake in Absolute Pets, positioning the retailer in a new sector.
Today, the retailer operates 1,631 stores across 13 countries, with its main footprint still in South Africa, where it has 710 stores.
While the group has made several acquisitions and expansions in its clothing and beauty segments, the company’s food business is its largest earner.
Woolworths Food accounts for approximately 66.5% of the group’s total turnover and concession sales, and the company plans to anchor its future around this segment.
A R1,000 investment
Woolworths was first listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 1936, five years after its founding, with a share price of 1 pound (R2).
On 16 March 2001, the retailer’s share price was 290.4 cents, which had grown to 3,974 cents by the close of markets on 26 October 2026.
This means that a R1,000 investment in the retailer in 2001 would have been the equivalent of approximately 344.35 shares.
On 26 October 2026, those 344.35 shares would be worth R13,685, a Return On Investment of approximately 1,268.5%.
While a R1,000 investment in Woolworths in 2001 would have earned a person R13,685 today, selling that stake at the retailer’s peak would be worth over R35,000
On 27 November 2015, Woolworths’ share traded at 10,285 cents, making the initial R1,000 investment worth R35,416.
After peaking in 2015, Woolworths’ share price declined gradually before dropping sharply in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic created difficult economic conditions for most businesses, with retailers feeling the pain of movement restrictions and a constrained market.
After the pandemic, Woolworths steadily increased its share price until 2023, when it started to gradually decline.
Today, the retail giant has a market capitalisation of approximately R38.9 billion and a presence across South Africa.
The retailer has recently looked to continue its push to centre itself around its food segment through the acquisition of In2Food, one of its long-time suppliers.
This acquisition has received regulatory approval and is expected to streamline Woolworths’ supply process, with In2Foods becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the group.
Woolworths historic share price
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