iStore says it is expanding its retail footprint across South Africa, as part of its broader retail strategy.
The Apple reseller opened its 40th store in SA last year and is planning to open more stores during the course of this year.
The move is driven by growth in iPhone sales locally, boosted by its pre-owned segment, despite South African consumers being highly price-sensitive, says the company.
iStore operates as an independent Apple premium partner, offering sales of Apple products as well as after-sales services, such as repairs and device support.
The company’s expansion plan comes amid a global smartphone market that continues to face supply chain constraints.
These include ongoing shortages and volatility in the availability of memory chips – flagged by the industry as a key factor affecting production planning and pricing across device manufacturers.
iStore South Africa chief commercial officer Linda van der Nest says the company’s employee numbers have increased alongside store growth and the expansion of its e-commerce channel.
While she did not disclose its current headcount, the firm’s workforce spans retail, technical support and customer service functions.
“iStore has seen significant growth over the last several years,” she tells ITWeb. “As our physical and digital presence has grown, so has our investment in people. People are at the centre of our growth strategy, and we prioritise specialised training to equip our staff to support customers across the full product lifecycle. Our growth is not just measured in numbers, but in the career paths we create for our employees across South Africa.”
While mobile network providers have been closing down their retail stores across SA, iStore has no plans of slowing down, with new stores planned in several provinces, she adds.
This is driven by the company’s strategy, which is premised on increasing digital inclusion in SA, executed through improving affordability and accessibility to technology products, she asserts.
In SA, Apple holds 20% to 21% market share, as of early 2026, and ranks as the second-largest smartphone brand, behind Samsung, according to a Statcounter report.
Growth in trade-in activity
South African consumers’ highly price-sensitive nature has seen them make purchasing decisions that are shaped by device affordability, contract structures and trade-in incentives as opposed to brand preference alone, Van der Nest explains.
Alongside new device sales, iStore’s trade-in programme has grown in usage, with customers increasingly using existing devices to offset the cost of upgrades.
“We now facilitate thousands of trade-ins every year, as customers increasingly view their current iPhone as an asset that can reduce the cost of their next upgrade.
“We support this shift through the flexibility of our trade-in programme. Our multi-product trade-in option also allows customers to trade in up to five devices toward a single new iPhone, which could substantially reduce the purchase price. Trade-in is not just about sustainability, it also creates a more affordable, circular pathway to owning quality technology.”
This shift is also influencing purchasing behaviour, with more consumers opting to upgrade devices more frequently, while others are entering the ecosystem through alternative ownership models, she notes.
“We are seeing two clear demand patterns: one segment of customers uses our trade-in programme to stay up to date with the latest iPhone, while another is eager to access the Apple ecosystem through our pre-owned range. Together, these segments complement each other.”
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