Choppies Enterprise Ltd. plans to close its supermarkets across several African nations in a bid to focus on its growth in Botswana, where it is listed.

According to Chief Executive Officer Ramachandran Ottapathu, the enterprise will close supermarkets in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique because they aren't profitable.

It will add stores in Botswana this year instead and explore new markets.

"Zambia is self-sustaining and growing slowly and in Zimbabwe we'll look at the market and how it goes,” Ottapathu said in a phone interview. "Namibia, we need to grow.”

Gaborone-based news site Mmegionline was the first to report the retailer's exit from four African nations on Monday.

(With input from agencies)