Home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and rising middle class, sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly important to South African retailers, but tapping into that growth has been difficult, according to a Reuters report report in IndependentOnline.

South African retailer Foschini Group said it plans to more than double its African presence in the next five years. This announcement came a day after a rival pulled out of the Nigerian market.

Woolworths said it was pulling out of Nigeria citing high rents and difficulty marketing to consumers in Africa’s most populous country, IndependentOnline reports.

Foschini, which sells high-end clothing, jewelry and furniture, reported a flat profit for the first half of 2013. It blamed weak consumer demand in its home country, South Africa.

The company said it plans to accelerate its expansion in sub-Saharan Africa, where revenue growth is at 25 percent.

It said in a statement it expects to have around 300 African stores outside of South Africa by 2018, from 116 now.

Foschini said diluted headline earnings rose 3.8 percent to 411.2 cents a share in the six months ending in September. Sales rose 9 percent to $652 million, Reuters reports.