The Washington Post
By Associated Press, Published: March 19
JOHANNESBURG — U.S. clothing giant GAP Inc. says it is opening it first stores in southern Africa less than six months after it entered northern markets in Egypt and Morocco.
GAP said in a statement that store franchises were opening in Johannesburg on Monday and Cape Town on Tuesday as the “next step in our expansion on the continent.”
It said several other new international markets are planned for this year. GAP already has 180 franchise stores in 25 countries and expects to double that to about 400 stores by 2014.
Earlier this month, South Africa’s competition court approved a merger between massive U.S. retailer Walmart and a local retailer in a deal it said showed an investor friendly environment where jobs were needed.
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