Consider the information in the article below on Walmart. Evaluate the challenges faced by multinationals such as Walmart in the host countries that they operate in.

The Curious Case Of Walmart's Foray Into Africa Walmart's investment eight years ago into South African retail giant Massmart has divided opinion. The stark reality on the ground is that its stock price is in the doldrums and profits are a rarity. But not all is lost, if the recent appointment of Walmart veteran Mitch Slape, as CEO and president of Massmart, is anything to go by, according to industry analysts. Slape replaces Guy Hayward, whose resignation was announced at the beginning of May, weeks before Massmart released its trading statement. Slape had held various roles within the Walmart group, and his appointment is seen as Walmart increasing its operational control and taking a more active role in running the business, says Bjorn Samuels, an equity analyst at Argon Asset Management. Walmart caused quite a stir in the South African retail fraternity when it signalled its intention to acquire a 51% controlling stake in Massmart eight years ago. So fraught was the $2.5bn deal that it triggered competition concerns, which were eventually resolved by South Africa's Competition Tribunal. This paved the way for a retail matrimony that has been beset by disappointment, starting with an underperforming share price. This has raised questions about whether Walmart's foray into South Africa has been worth it. "Clearly not," argues Wilhelm Hertzog, an analyst and portfolio manager at Cape Town- based Rozendal Partners. "It has not been a good investment for Walmart on all fronts. Massmart's share price has gone nowhere in that time period and the rand has depreciated. Operationally, Massmart has underperformed its peers. So, clearly it was a bad investment for Walmart - there's no two ways about it." Argon's Samuels disagrees. Walmart had stated from the outset that it would use Massmart as a platform to grow Walmart's exposure to Africa. "Therefore, the initial offer of $2.3bn, less than 20% of annual group capex, made the investment worth it from Walmart's perspective." Massmart's announcement earlier in 2019 that it would build 47 new stores between 2019 and 2021, mostly in Kenya and Zambia, could also be read as a vote of no-confidence in South Africa. This lack of confidence in the domestic economy is prevalent among most companies in South Africa. "If you look at other industrial businesses in the country, most are in