WATCH: Shoprite stores hit in Nigeria amid protests

A number of Shoprite stores in South Africa, Nigeria and Zambia remained closed on Wednesday due to protests and looting.

“Several stores in South Africa, Nigeria and Zambia are today unable to open due to protest action and extensive damage has been done to several supermarkets over the past 24 hours, impacting the lives of millions of law abiding people,” the company said in a statement.

Videos showing damage and looting at Shoprite stores in Lagos were shared on Twitter:

Scenes from Shoprite at Jakande pic.twitter.com/FE5Lbrf1xQ

— Pulse Nigeria (@PulseNigeria247) September 3, 2019

This is the state of Novare mall this morning #shoprite ... Dear #Nigerians i thought you said peaceful protests but you ended up looting an entire mall. #Southafricans are destroying Nigerians, Nigerians are also destroying Nigerians. Well done, you played yourself. pic.twitter.com/wVVr7M8wls

— GIGI ?? (@ennie_mien) September 4, 2019

Shoprite (Circle Mall) in Lekki, Nigeria is under siege by angry protestors in response to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/mBSiJtnhX8

— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) September 3, 2019

In its report, the Nigerian television station TVC News showed the aisles of  a Lagos Shoprite store strewn with goods. Another report claimed that the police foiled an attempt to set alight the Shoprite store in the Circle Mall. 

The Nigerian news outlet Pulse reported that a Shoprite store was attacked by a group of protestors who knocked products off shelves. There were also reports of attacks on MTN billboards. 

After protests at four MTN outlets in Nigeria, the company shut all its stores and service centres in the country, it said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. 

South African companies in other African countries are being targeted by protestors following xenophobic attacks in Gauteng.

Television group MultiChoice, meanwhile, has shut its offices and branches in Nigeria and Zambia and due to protests at the group's offices in Lagos and Lusaka. Multichoice head of corporate affairs Joe Heshu told Fin24 on Wednesday that the branches would remain closed until the situation had stabilised. 

This follows a week of violence in South Africa, where citizens from other African countries were targeted in attacked and their stores looted.

By Tuesday evening, five people were confirmed dead while more than 180 have been arrested.