Grocery company ranked most trustworthy for four years running
CAPE TOWN — One South African retailer has emerged as the country’s highest-ranked company on a global trust list for the fourth consecutive year, placing ahead of major international names including Walmart and reinforcing the value of a reputation built around quality, customer experience and consistency.
That company is Woolworths, which ranked as the 15th most trustworthy retailer globally in Newsweek and Statista’s 2026 World’s Most Trustworthy Companies ranking. It was the highest-ranked South African company included on the list.
Woolworths was not South Africa’s only strong performer in the retail category. Dis-Chem ranked 21st globally and Clicks 27th, while Cashbuild also placed inside the global top 50. All four South African retailers finished ahead of US retail giant Walmart, which was ranked 54th.
The result is particularly significant for Woolworths because it is not a once-off showing. The retailer was also the highest-ranked South African company on the list in 2025, making 2026 the fourth consecutive year it has achieved the distinction.
The Newsweek and Statista ranking considers trust from several sides of a business rather than relying solely on whether customers like a brand.
More than 500,000 data points were considered, with companies assessed across customer perception, investor confidence and employee engagement. Independent surveys account for 80% of the assessment, while social analysis contributes the remaining 20%. Previous performance is also considered, recognising that corporate trust develops over time rather than through a single year’s performance.
For Woolworths, the recognition comes at a time when its South African operations are continuing to grow despite pressure on household finances and softer consumer demand.
Woolworths Holdings reported group turnover and concession sales of R84.5 billion for the 52 weeks ended 28 June 2026, an increase of 4.3%. Its South African operations grew turnover and concession sales by 5.4%, although the company acknowledged a more difficult second half and weaker trading during the fourth quarter.
Food remains one of the group’s strongest businesses. Woolworths Food increased turnover and concession sales by 5.7% during the financial year and continued gaining market share. Online food sales have also become increasingly important, with on-demand delivery revenue growing 19.6% and online accounting for 7.3% of South African Food sales.
Those numbers provide useful context to the trust ranking. Consumer trust does not necessarily mean a company offers the lowest prices, particularly in a South African retail market where households remain highly sensitive to food and living costs. It can instead reflect whether customers believe a business will consistently deliver the quality, service and experience associated with its name.
Woolworths has deliberately positioned those qualities as central to its brand. The retailer has repeatedly highlighted product quality, innovation and sustainability as important parts of its strategy, while its premium Food business has become the group’s primary engine of value creation.
The company’s performance also comes amid growing evidence of the strength of South African brands internationally. Brand Finance’s 2026 Africa 200 report found that South Africa accounted for 104 of the continent’s 200 most valuable brands, representing 71% of their combined brand value.
Woolworths Group CEO Sam Ngumeni described the latest trust recognition as evidence of the company’s values in practice and said the business would continue working to retain that confidence.
Remaining South Africa’s highest-ranked company on the Newsweek and Statista list for four consecutive years gives Woolworths something more difficult to acquire than another retail award. In a market where consumers can switch supermarkets, pharmacies and other retailers with relative ease, sustained trust can influence where customers continue spending their money.
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