South Africa's regional re-engagement after 1994 was expected to strengthen political, social and economic solidarity in Southern Africa – as well as in other parts of the continent and the South. What people did not foresee, however, was the degree to which South African capital would surge into neighbouring countries, creating new tensions and prompting "a highly ambiguous set of responses".

This article probes the nature and import of these tensions and responses with respect to the operations of South African retail giant Shoprite in Zambia – and, in particular, to Shoprite's presence in the Zambian district of Chipata, where forces of both resistance and partnership are apparent.