Six years from a Stellenbosch dorm room to opening the first official Liverpool FC retail stores on the continent - Canal Walk, Cape Town and Mall of Africa, Johannesburg bring the club home to 12.7 million South African supporters for the first time.
Old School has opened Liverpool FC’s first official standalone retail stores in Africa, with locations at Canal Walk in Cape Town and Mall of Africa in Johannesburg. The Canal Walk store opened on 12 May with its official launch event on 19 May; the Mall of Africa store opened on 15 May with its official launch event on 21 May.
The stores are operated by Old School, South Africa’s premium supporterswear brand, under a five-year partnership agreement with Liverpool FC. The full Liverpool FC range is available online through Locker Room, Old School’s multi-brand fan destination platform, at lockerroomstore.co.za/collections/liverpool.
A SOUTH AFRICAN STORY FIFTEEN MONTHS IN THE MAKING
What began in a Stellenbosch dorm room in 2019 has grown, over six years, into a licensed sports merchandise business operating approximately 20 stores nationally - with official agreements across the Springboks, Bafana Bafana, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and now Liverpool FC. The Liverpool partnership took around 15 months from first proper engagement to final agreement.
During that time, Old School kept building capability, opening stores, and expanding its retail systems - proving that a South African business could operate at the level a global brand like Liverpool demands.
The engagement began with a belief: that South Africa had one of the most passionate Liverpool fanbases in the world, and that if Old School could bring the right level of care, execution, and local supporter understanding, it could add something genuinely meaningful. That belief, backed by consistent work over 15 months, is what turned an aspiration into a five-year agreement.
A WEEK THAT BROUGHT LIVERPOOL FC TO SOUTH AFRICA
The opening week brought Liverpool FC to South Africa in full force. Club legend and South Africa-born Bruce Grobbelaar attended events across both cities, joined by official mascot Mighty Red and the Champions League trophy.
The week coincided with the launch of the club’s new kit and included a full programme of supporter engagement events in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Since the stores soft-opened, fans have been sharing their experiences across social media - with videos on TikTok and Instagram of supporters getting emotional when they walk in for the first time.
It is also the first time Liverpool has opened two stores simultaneously with a global retail partner, which makes this a milestone not only for Old School but for the club’s global retail expansion.
THE PRODUCT OFFERING
The stores bring together a full Liverpool FC retail offering for South African supporters:
• Official on-field product and Liverpool FC’s own retail ranges
• Exclusive collections and limited edition product
• Hardware, accessories, and supporter essentials, including caps, mugs and homeware
• Old School licensed premium product developed for the local market
Product starts at under R100 and runs across all price points - official match day kit, replica jerseys, premium collections, fanwear, and hardware. The same full range is available through Locker Room at lockerroomstore.co.za/collections/liverpool, serving as the official Liverpool FC online store-in-store for South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA’S 12.7 MILLION LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS
South Africa is home to an estimated 12.7 million Liverpool FC supporters - more than any other club in world football - alongside 37 million cumulative television viewers last season. For many South African fans, support for Liverpool is not casual. It runs through families, passed from grandparents to parents to children. It is in the memories, the pubs, the Sunday mornings, the conversations. Until now, those supporters have never had an official physical home for the club in this market.
The goal is not simply to operate a retail store. The goal is to give South African Liverpool supporters a place to come together, shop, gift, celebrate, and feel genuinely connected to a club they have loved, in many cases, for their entire lives.
OLD SCHOOL
“This partnership was not built overnight. The engagement with Liverpool ran for around 15 months from the first proper conversation to the final agreement. During that time we kept showing up, kept building our capability, and kept proving that as a South African business we could hold their global name to the standard it deserves in this market. What excites us most about these stores is not the product on the shelves. It is the South African Liverpool supporter who walks in, looks around, and feels - maybe for the first time - that the club they have always loved is here. That is what we set out to build.” — Daneel Steinmann, CEO, Old School
LIVERPOOL FC
“These store openings are an important moment for us as we bring the first official standalone retail stores to the region for the first time. South Africa has a deep and passionate Liverpool fan base, and we’re proud to create new ways for supporters to connect with the club. The launch activity across the week reflects the scale of that support, and we’re looking forward to celebrating with fans in Cape Town and Johannesburg as we continue to grow our global retail presence.” — Lee Dwerryhouse, Senior Vice-President of Merchandising, Liverpool FC
A HOME AWAY FROM ANFIELD
For many South African Liverpool supporters, travelling to Anfield is not always possible. These stores give them a chance to experience a piece of the club here at home. The store environment is built to feel like a Liverpool space - connected to the badge, the history, the songs, the players, and the global community around the club. Not a generic retail shop with product on shelves, but a place that makes people feel something.
Old School’s appointment as Liverpool’s retail operator in South Africa reflects both local credibility and the ability to execute at a global standard. The business understands the South African supporter from the inside. It is not looking at this market from the outside. That is the combination of local understanding and global ambition that makes the partnership work.
STORE LOCATIONS AND ONLINE
Canal Walk, Cape Town | Open now | Official launch event: 19 May 2026
Mall of Africa, Johannesburg | Open now | Official launch event: 21 May 2026
Online: lockerroomstore.co.za/collections/liverpool
Follow the stores on Instagram: @lfcretailsa
Bringing together officially licensed apparel and merchandise from some of the world’s most iconic sporting brands, Locker Room features collections from the South Africa national rugby union team, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa national soccer team, Liverpool F.C., the National Basketball Association, leading Premier League clubs, as well as legendary retro ranges from Score Draw and COPA.
Built around nostalgia, identity and the moments that unite supporters across generations, Locker Room is also home to South Africa’s official Liverpool FC online store-in-store experience. Shop online at Locker Room, with physical retail stores launching in 2027.
© OLD SCHOOL