Mall of Africa set to open this month

Opening on 28 April 2016, the $340m Mall of Africa will form the iconic hub of the Waterfall precinct in Midrand, Johannesburg.

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South Africa’s largest single-phase shopping centre development to date, the $340 million (R5-billion ZAR) Mall of Africa, will be fully operational in 17 days — on 28 April 2016.

South Africans are already under a deluge of shopping centre space before the opening of the biggest shopping centre on the continent, the Mall of Africa in Midrand, Johannesburg.

The question, however, is whether SA can support another mall. Many consumers are cash strapped, and already SA has the sixth-highest number of shopping centres in the world — almost 2,000.

At 130,000sqm, Mall of Africa will feature over 300 retailers, restaurants, entertainment and cinema complex, all within a single development.

The mall is co-owned by two South African property companies. JSE-listed real estate capital growth fund Attacq Limited holds the commercial development rights to Waterfall and owns 80% of the Mall. Atterbury Property Developments owns 20% and is responsible for the development project, on behalf of Attacq. 

“The development has enhanced the diversity of the retail sector in South Africa, changed Gauteng’s skyline and stimulated the economy,” says Louis van der Watt, CEO of Atterbury.

Funded by Nedbank CIB Property Finance, the construction of Mall of Africa began nearly three-and-a-half years ago, on 28 October 2012. 

While the mall comprises some 130,000sqm of gross lettable area, James Ehlers, MD of Atterbury Property Developments, notes its construction area covers a massive 550,000sqms – or 78 rugby fields. A stroll around the building’s perimeter will take you on a walk of 1.75 kilometres. 

Ehlers also reveals that over 6 kilometres of shopfront has been created inside Mall of Africa. Plus, more than 530 kilometres of post tension cable has been used in its construction, as well as 18,500 tons of rebar and 205,000 cubic metres of concrete.

During the construction phase, a substantial 3,078 people were employed for the project and, by January 2016, they had worked 10.41-million man hours. 

The shopping mall will open with seven anchor tenants, and an array of international retailers that have chosen to debut their brands to South Africans at the mall, as well as an appealing line-up of flagship stores for all major South African retailers. 

Anchor tenants include Checkers, Edgars, Game and Woolworths. They will be joined by leading South African brands from The Foschini Group, Mr Price and Truworths. 

International brands opening their first stores in South Africa at the mall include Armani Exchange, Helly Hansen, Asics, Zara Home, The Kooples, Under Armour, Mango Man, women’secret and Amsterdam-based Soap Stories.

One of the many leisure highlights at Mall of Africa is a magnificent outdoor park with a children’s play area featuring an interactive musical water fountain.

The retail centre is situated in Midrand's Waterfall City, halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is located adjacent to the Allandale Road exit of the N1 Highway, the first free-flow intersection of its size in Africa.

The mall has around 6,500 parking bays, most of which are under cover. It also offers valet parking, special drop-off facilities for buses and dedicated Uber pick-up and drop-off points – a first in the South African retail environment. It is also minutes away from the Gautrain Midrand Station.

The project implemented multiple green technologies, including a massive photovoltaic installation on the roof of Mall of Africa. The installation will be the largest in South Africa and Africa and will provide 4.8MVA of sustainable power for the centre. The mall will use grey water harvesting in all public toilets and for the irrigation of the entire development. Its design means natural light is maximized in the mall in such a way that shopper comfort is also optimised.

The shopping mall combines the latest international trends, environmentally sustainable materials and technologies. It is designed around new urbanism principles of walkable, mixed-use environments to create a truly cutting-edge shopping experience.