Devland Cash & Carry, the South African wholesale and grocery retail group controlled by brothers Mahomed and Shiraz Gathoo, is marking 37 years in business as it continues to expand through acquisitions and strengthen its position in the fast-moving consumer goods market.

The company launched major promotions in October 2026 to celebrate the anniversary, highlighting the growth of a family-led business that has developed beyond cash-and-carry operations into a broader network spanning grocery retail, wholesale distribution and commercial property.

The Gathoo brothers’ rise through FMCG

Mahomed and Shiraz Gathoo have built their business interests around Devland, which supplies food and general merchandise in bulk to independent traders and commercial customers while also operating grocery retail outlets.

South Africa’s Competition Tribunal records that the brothers each hold a 50% controlling interest in Devland in their personal capacities, giving them equal control of the company.

Their wider business network includes Barakaat Property Investments, which provides a property-owning component, alongside other businesses and entities associated with their corporate history, including Metcash Trading Africa, ANE Western Cape, Komati Cash & Carry and Saveland.

The brothers’ interests have also extended beyond South Africa. In Namibia, they were associated with Metro Cash & Carry Namibia and related trading operations. In 2013, Sefalana agreed to acquire businesses operated by Metcash Namibia, Metcash Trading Africa and the Gathoo brothers, covering 12 stores in Namibia.

Devland emerges as the brothers’ growth engine

Devland has increasingly relied on acquisitions to expand its grocery retail footprint, using established outlets to enter markets and broaden its national presence.

In 2021, South Africa’s Competition Tribunal approved the company’s acquisition of nine stores from Masscash. The outlets included Cambridge Food stores in Kempton Park, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg’s central business district, as well as QwaQwa Cash and Carry, Rhino Cash & Carry and Klerksdorp Cash & Carry stores.

The transaction formed part of Devland’s strategy to increase its reach in South Africa’s grocery and wholesale markets. Rather than depending solely on new store openings, the company used the acquisition to add established retail locations to its network.

Further acquisitions expand the retail footprint

Devland continued its expansion in 2024, moving to acquire another 10 stores from Massmart, comprising eight Cambridge Foods outlets and two Rhino cash-and-carry stores.

At the time, the Competition Commission described Devland as an FMCG wholesaler and grocery retailer operating 43 stores across South Africa.

The transaction formed part of a broader store-divestment process following competition concerns surrounding Massmart’s proposed sale of stores to Shoprite. South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition described Devland as a black-owned supermarket operator selected to acquire the 10 outlets.

The successive acquisitions underscore the brothers’ strategy of using Devland as their principal platform for growth, combining wholesale distribution with an expanding retail presence.

Building a broader business network

Beyond its stores, the Gathoo brothers’ business interests include property and trading operations that complement their retail and wholesale activities. The group’s property component adds another dimension to its network, although the scale of those holdings is not specified in the available information.

As Devland marks its 37th anniversary, the brothers’ business story reflects the development of a family-controlled enterprise into a broader FMCG platform.

With equal ownership of Devland, Mahomed and Shiraz Gathoo remain at the centre of a business strategy built on wholesale distribution, grocery retail and acquisitions, positioning the company to pursue further growth across South Africa’s consumer market.