When you walk into a Naivas store, the first thing that strikes you is the space. Wide, well-lit aisles are piled high with gleaming produce. The comforting smell of freshly baked bread wafts through the air. Shoppers fill their trolleys as orange-clad employees move briskly across the supermarket floor, ready to help.
In just over three decades, Naivas has grown from a local shop to Kenya’s leading supermarket chain. Present in every major town and city in the country, Naivas attracts Kenyan customers of every stripe – perhaps drawn by the business’ promise of “Naivas saves you money”, or the sheer diversity of Naivas’ product range. It’s hard to go into a Naivas store and come out empty-handed. From everyday essentials to electronics, homeware and stationery, there’s something for everyone, regardless of income, age or gender.
It’s a far cry from where the Naivas story began in 1990. On a quiet street in Nakuru, a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya, David Kimani and the late Simon Mukuha opened Gitwe General Stores to serve the local community. David and Simon shared a vision: to provide quality products at unbeatable value.
As demand grew, so did the ambition. In 1992, the store became Rongai Self Service Stores, introducing the self-service model to Nakuru, then evolved into Naivasha Self Service Stores in 1998 – the beginning of its expansion to multiple outlets. In 2006, the chain rebranded as Naivas – a name that for many Kenyans remains a symbol of reliability, affordability, and innovation in retail.
Today, the business employs more than 12,000 people, works with over 2,000 suppliers, and plays a pivotal role in Kenya’s economy. From one modest store to 114 and counting, Naivas has transformed the way millions of Kenyans shop, earning its place as a trusted household name synonymous with quality, freshness, and affordability.
For CEO Andreas von Paleske, “What makes Naivas so special is its strong Kenyan heritage – what we refer to as Naivas Kilocol – combined with market leading execution.”
It was therefore only natural that Naivas chose to partner with IBL, itself a family-led business with deeply-held values and a regional vision. When IBL increased its stake in Naivas to 51% in July 2023, it marked a deepened partnership built on mutual trust and long-term ambition: to grow responsibly, create jobs, and empower communities.
Andreas adds, “The original founders built an incredible business through hard work, dedication, and prudent financial management. That foundation, and Naivas’ longstanding promise to deliver genuine value to customers, remains at the heart of our business model. It’s what has enabled Naivas to not only expand, but to grow profitably and sustainably.”
At the heart of this success lies innovation. Naivas reimagined what grocery shopping could look like in Kenya: bright, fresh, inspiring and accessible. Its Foodmarket concept, introduced in 2017, set a new benchmark in the country’s retail sector, delivering a premium market-style experience at affordable prices. With market-style displays, farm-fresh produce, a full-service bakery, butchery, dairy section, and the inviting aroma of Café Naivas’ hot deli, it creates an experience that feels warm, modern and authentically Kenyan.
Naivas’ unwavering commitment to quality, freshness, and affordability has transformed how Kenyans shop. What began in 2017 with a single Foodmarket, offering a curated selection of fresh produce, has become a cornerstone of modern Kenyan retail, embraced by consumers nationwide.
But freshness is not just a promise: it’s a science. Naivas works closely with local farmers and trusted suppliers to source the highest-quality produce. It maintains strict 360-degree cold chain compliance, ensuring that quality is preserved from farm to shelf.
Its deli, which serves customers looking for affordable, home-style meals, uses only locally-sourced ingredients. Meals have a strict one-day shelf life. Likewise, its combination of central and in-store bakeries ensures that freshly baked bread, pastries and cakes are available in every store, every day.
What’s next for Naivas? CEO Andreas von Paleske explains: “Naivas’ vision is to become the consumer brand of choice in East Africa. We have exciting growth plans. In addition to opening eight to ten new stores every year, we’re expanding our product range, scaling our e-commerce platform, and enhancing our loyalty programme to deepen customer engagement through data-driven insights. I couldn’t be more excited to lead the business towards even greater heights.”
Andreas joined Naivas in 2017 and served as Chief Strategy Officer prior to being appointed CEO in October 2025. Before joining Naivas, he led the consumer team at Actis, a pan-emerging markets private equity firm, and was a Director at Lion Capital, a specialist consumer-sector investor in Europe and the US. He holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Harvard University.
