Massmart, one of Africa’s largest retail groups and a Walmart subsidiary, has partnered with Criteo to expand its retail media capabilities across its digital commerce properties in South Africa. The collaboration introduces Sponsored Product Ads and Onsite Display Ads powered by Criteo’s Commerce Yield platform, enabling brands and marketplace sellers to target shoppers closer to the point of purchase while providing retailers with new advertising revenue opportunities. The move reflects the growing importance of retail media networks as advertisers increasingly prioritize first-party data and measurable commerce-driven advertising.

Retail media continues to reshape digital advertising strategies worldwide, and South Africa is becoming an increasingly important market for that transformation. Massmart’s latest collaboration with Criteo signals a broader shift among African retailers seeking to monetize their digital commerce platforms while giving advertisers more direct access to consumers during shopping journeys.

The agreement introduces new advertising capabilities across Massmart’s digital properties, beginning with Makro.co.za, the retailer’s flagship eCommerce marketplace. Using Criteo’s Commerce Yield platform, advertisers can now deploy Sponsored Product Ads alongside Onsite Display Ads designed to influence purchasing decisions as consumers browse product listings and category pages.

Unlike traditional display advertising, retail media campaigns leverage a retailer’s own first-party commerce data to deliver ads based on actual shopping behavior rather than relying primarily on third-party cookies. As privacy regulations continue to evolve and browser-based tracking becomes more limited, retailers are increasingly positioning their commerce platforms as valuable advertising ecosystems.

Sponsored Product Ads allow brands and marketplace sellers to promote products directly within search results and product discovery experiences. These advertisements blend naturally with retail content, increasing visibility while maintaining a shopping-focused experience. Onsite Display Ads complement this approach by offering premium placements that help improve brand awareness across key digital touchpoints.

The campaigns are managed through Criteo’s Commerce Yield platform, which centralizes campaign management, audience targeting, reporting, and performance measurement across Massmart’s website and mobile applications. Closed-loop measurement capabilities enable advertisers to connect ad exposure with actual purchases, providing clearer visibility into return on advertising investment.

This type of measurement has become increasingly important as marketers face growing pressure to demonstrate business outcomes rather than traditional engagement metrics. Retail media platforms are particularly attractive because they connect advertising directly with commerce transactions.

Industry analysts continue to highlight the rapid expansion of retail media worldwide. According to eMarketer, retail media is among the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising, with brands allocating larger portions of media budgets toward commerce-focused advertising environments. Gartner has likewise identified retail media networks as an increasingly strategic channel for retailers seeking to diversify revenue while strengthening relationships with consumer brands.

For Massmart, the collaboration represents more than an advertising technology deployment. It marks an evolution of the company’s digital commerce strategy by transforming its online storefronts into monetizable media channels. As retailers compete to improve profitability, retail media has emerged as a complementary revenue stream that extends beyond product sales.

The partnership also reflects Criteo’s continued expansion within the global retail media ecosystem. The company has invested heavily in commerce media technologies that help retailers build advertising businesses capable of competing alongside established platforms operated by companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and The Trade Desk. Rather than serving as a standalone advertising platform, Criteo focuses on enabling retailers to operate their own retail media networks using proprietary shopper data.

For advertisers operating in South Africa, the collaboration provides access to high-intent audiences at moments when purchasing decisions are actively taking place. Brands can target shoppers browsing relevant categories while benefiting from transparent campaign analytics and measurable sales attribution.

Marketplace sellers also stand to benefit from greater product visibility in increasingly competitive digital storefronts. Sponsored placements allow sellers to promote inventory directly within search results, a capability that has become standard across major global eCommerce marketplaces.

The initial deployment focuses on Makro.co.za, but both organizations indicate that retail media capabilities could expand across additional Massmart digital properties over time. As the retailer grows its digital ecosystem, new advertising placements may create broader opportunities for brands seeking scalable commerce media campaigns across multiple retail formats.

Market Landscape

Retail media networks are becoming one of the fastest-growing areas of programmatic advertising as brands seek alternatives to cookie-dependent targeting. First-party commerce data enables retailers to offer highly relevant audience segmentation while supporting privacy-first advertising strategies. Industry leaders including Amazon, Walmart Connect, Instacart, Carrefour, and Criteo have accelerated investment in commerce media infrastructure, while retailers across emerging markets are beginning to establish their own retail media ecosystems. As AI improves campaign optimization and measurement, retail media is expected to become an increasingly important component of omnichannel advertising strategies.

Strategic Outlook

Massmart’s collaboration with Criteo illustrates how retail media is expanding beyond North American and European markets into Africa’s growing digital commerce sector. As retailers invest in first-party data infrastructure, advertisers gain access to more measurable, commerce-driven media environments. The partnership also highlights increasing demand for advertising platforms that combine audience targeting, campaign automation, and closed-loop attribution, positioning retail media as a central pillar of future digital advertising strategies.

Top Insights

• Massmart has partnered with Criteo to introduce Sponsored Product Ads and Onsite Display Ads, expanding retail media capabilities across its South African digital commerce ecosystem.
• Criteo’s Commerce Yield platform enables advertisers to manage campaigns using first-party commerce data, improving audience targeting and purchase attribution.
• The collaboration gives brands and marketplace sellers access to high-intent shoppers during active purchasing journeys, improving advertising efficiency.
• Retail media creates an additional revenue stream for retailers while supporting privacy-first advertising strategies that rely less on third-party cookies.
• The partnership reflects growing adoption of retail media infrastructure across emerging markets as programmatic advertising continues evolving toward commerce-driven experiences.

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