New shopping mall with its own flea market opening in South Africa
A major new shopping centre with its own long-running flea market is set to open east of Johannesburg in October 2026.
Developers Stonesman Projects and Retail Network Services have announced that the new Rondebult Shopping Centre will open in August 2026, bringing a 25,000sqm retail hub to an area about 25km south-east of Johannesburg’s CBD.
The development is being built next to the existing Vegieland Centre, a well-known local centre that currently houses tenants including Shoprite, Roxana Fruit Market and Liquor City.
One of the unique features of the project is that it will retain the popular Rondebult Flea Market, which has built up a loyal customer base over many years and already attracts shoppers to the area.
The flea market will be housed in a fresh, new structure designed to align with the shopping centre’s modern design.
According to Retail Network Services, the combination of the flea market and the new mall is expected to strengthen what has become a fast-growing retail node within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
The developers said the area has experienced “significant growth in terms of new residential developments on what was previously agricultural land.”
It added that the Rondebult area has seen rising housing demand, driven largely by middle-income residents employed in the formal sector.
The shopping centre has been positioned to serve both shopping and leisure needs for the surrounding communities.
It sits along the busy Van Dyk and Heidelberg Roads and is close to major transport routes, including the N3 and N17 highways.
Retail Network Services said the new centre will be anchored by Shoprite, Boxer and a butchery. There will be a strong focus on fashion, food and convenience, as well as leisure and entertainment offerings, with a big-screen TV adding additional appeal to the centre’s Food Court.
The completed development will include 84 shops, with KFC and McDonald’s drive-thru eateries aimed at grab-and-go customers.
The company said the retail mix would focus strongly on convenience shopping, with banks, ATMs and other service-related tenants forming part of the centre.
Plan to capture 18% of a R2.5 billion market in the area
The developers believe the project will become the dominant community shopping centre in the area due to its scale and tenant mix.
Once the new shopping centre is completed, the existing Vegieland Centre will be demolished and replaced with a 4,500m² Build It flagship superstore, along with additional home improvement tenants, further expanding retail options in the node.
According to Retail Network Services, the combined development will eventually comprise roughly 29,000m² of retail space.
The project is also expected to benefit from strong population growth in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The primary catchment area already includes more than 24,000 dwellings and an estimated population of nearly 77,000 people.
Housing developments in the broader Rondebult area have accelerated over the past five years, with estates and projects such as Dawn City, Sun Rock Village and Windmill Manor adding more than 1,000 households to the existing residential base.
Retail Network Services said the number of households in the area is expected to continue growing steadily as additional developments are completed.
“The vast majority of these middle-income households occupy houses, and more than half of Rondebult’s residents are formally employed. There is also a strong youth component living in these mini-suburbs,” the company said.
It is estimated that the retail potential in the centre’s primary market is worth around R2.5 billion annually, with Rondebult Shopping Centre expected to capture about 18% of this.
The centre will also include free parking and taxi facilities to accommodate the large number of commuters and shoppers expected to use the development.
Retail Network Services added that the flea market’s continued success has already helped establish the area as a recognised shopping destination.
Rondebult Shopping Centre – Photos
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