Big shift at South Africa’s largest shopping mall

Over the last 12 months, the group’s mall team has let 20,783 sqm of retail space and renewed leases for over 150 existing tenants.

It has also seen a marked turnaround in vacancies. As reported by Moneyweb, the mall has slashed its vacancy rate from 24% to 13%.

Fourways Mall is South Africa’s largest mall at 178,000 sqm, following a massive revamp in 2019. The expansion increased the GLA from 61,634 sqm to 88,785 sqm.

Amidst increased vacancies and the devaluation of the mall, part-owned Accelerate agreed to pump R400 million to upgrade the mall in 2024.

Property experts Flanagan and Gerard and the Moolman Group also took over as the managers of the mall.

The mall has now undergone a massive shift, driven by a strategic focus on the needs of its upwardly mobile shopper base.

This resulted in the introduction of several “on-trend, convenient and purposeful stores and leisure activities”, the group said.

New stores to the mall included Huawei, Levisons, Mochachos, Pet Shop Science and ZuluZenith, while Spur has also re-joined the mall.

Financial service offerings from African Bank and Travelex have moved to more convenient positions in the mall.

Other new entrants to the mall are also currently in the shopfitting stage, with each hand-picked to suit the Fourways shopper base.

“The strong performance of our new tenants confirms that our leasing strategy is on the right track, and we are delighted to have made significant improvements in the overall shopper experience,” said Juan Palm, Fourways Mall Centre Manager.

“We’re committed to improving the quality of life for everyone who visits our mall by housing a greater variety, joyful experiences and access to the brands and services they know, love and need.”

Other improvements

Additionally, the airplane brought into the mall years ago is being refurbished and the surrounding area upgraded. The mall believes that this will become a vibrant attraction.

Fourways Mall is actively broadening its entertainment and fitness options as per its ambition to become a healthy lifestyle destination.

This includes eight rooftop padel courts, complete with a café and sweeping views of the West Rand. It added that this is proving popular among locals as it appeals to growing interest in accessible social sports.

Other wellness-focused additions include High Performance Training, a Hyrox-affiliated fitness studio, Beauty on Tapp, The Fitz and Wellness Warehouse.

Other entertainment and leisure options are also available, with Total Ninja, Urban Playground, Planet Fitness and Bloc 11 all set to open soon.

“These new experiences will provide even more variety to multi-generational shoppers and super-serve the growing need for experiential offerings in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs,” said the mall.

Alongside the new attractions, work is underway on a large-scale solar energy system that will see a large section of the roof decked in solar panels.

The renewable energy drive will support a longer-term strategy to reduce the centre’s environmental impact and ensure a consistent energy supply.

Spending time at Fourways Mall has also become easier due to several recent upgrades, such as improved signage, brighter lighting and a more intuitive wayfinding system.

The mall also features a well-lit, spacious drop-and-go zone now caters to e-hailing users. Improved security and a revamped parking system have also streamlined the experiance for visitors.

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Issued on BusinessTech by Luke Fraser | https://businesstech.co.za/news/property/826212/big-shift-at-south-africas-largest-shopping-mall/