What: Frasers Group's Sports Direct has entered Kenya with two large-format stores in Nairobi, operated with local partner Hudson Group.

Why it is important: Frasers is taking Sports Direct into Africa through a local partner, the same capital-light route it has used in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, while international revenue (up 59.2%) offsets a shrinking UK sports business.

Sports Direct has opened its first two stores in Africa, in Kenya's capital Nairobi, through a strategic partnership with Hudson Group. The stores are at the Sarit Centre, where the space is 10,000 sq ft, and at Galleria Mall, which exceeds 7,800 sq ft.

Both stores carry sports and lifestyle brands including Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Puma and New Balance. They feature Sports Direct's Running, Football and Outdoor concepts and showcase its own-brand portfolio, including Everlast, Slazenger, Karrimor, Jack Wills and USA Pro. The retailer called the openings "a major milestone" in its global expansion and in its ambition to become the number one sports retailer internationally.

Hudson Group chief executive Chris Muscat said the openings change the landscape of sports retail in Nairobi, offering a large-format dedicated experience that combines leading sports brands with more accessible and affordable offerings. He attributed the proposition to Hudson's experience in the region and to Frasers' ambition to bring large-format retailing to Africa in sporting goods. Hudson plans to build on this momentum as it expands Sports Direct across Africa.

IADS Notes: Frasers' growth has come from outside the UK: in its first-half results, international retail rose 42.8% while UK Sports Retail declined (Fashion Network, December 2025). For the year to April 2026, international revenue grew 59.2%, helped by the Holdsport acquisition in South Africa and partner-store openings in Malta, Australia and the Middle East, against a 4.7% fall in UK sports retail (Retail Week, July 2026). The group is also leaning on local operators: it sold Sports Direct Malaysia to MAP Active for around $150m while keeping a long-term agreement and an ongoing income stream, with MAP already supporting the banner in five other Southeast Asian markets (Retail Week, July 2026). The model is not unique to Frasers: JD Sports is entering Mexico through a franchise in which Grupo Axo will operate more than 140 stores from 2027, and JD and Courir already run 75 franchise stores across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia (Retail Gazette, September 2026). The Hudson Group partnership in Kenya follows the same partner-led pattern.

Sports Direct makes African debut with two new stores in Kenya