With an excess of 35 years of experience, Poobie Naidoo’s Sports Wholesalers has been one of the founding sport shops in KwaZulu-Natal. We are currently the largest multi-brand store in Africa.

It started during a lunch hour and from a car boot.

In 1983, pharmacist Poobie Naidoo had a passion for running and a dream bigger than his dispensary counter. He began selling running shoes and sports gear from the boot of his car - and the response was overwhelming. Within years, that humble side hustle had outgrown itself twice over, eventually finding its home at 67 Boshoff Street, Pietermaritzburg, as Poobie Naidoo's Sports Warehouse.

Today, the store is one of the only truly specialised sports retailers in South Africa - complete with a 50-metre indoor athletic track and computerised gait analysis, so runners can find their perfect fit before they ever hit the road.

Poobie's edge has always been authenticity. As a professional runner himself, he understands what athletes need - and he's built a team of specialists who feel the same way. Despite the store's growth, you'll still find him on the shop floor most days, more likely to be mistaken for a staff member than a business owner. That's exactly how he likes it.

The business is a true family affair, led by Poobie and his wife Pat, who believes their culture of dedication, humility, and hands-on care is the real secret to their success. "Everything we have has come from dedication and sacrifice," she says. Their team is treated less like employees and more like family - trained, supported, and given room to grow.

Giving back is woven into everything they do. Poobie and Pat regularly sponsor sports kits and gear to disadvantaged schools, driven by a simple belief: "Just because you're poor, doesn't mean you can't succeed."

Four decades on, the dream is still growing - with one ultimate goal in sight: a single destination for every sport, under one roof.