Lifestyle

Largest and busiest shopping malls in South Africa named among the top in the world

Caitlyn Hilliard-Lomas

 ·23 Oct 2026

Two of Johannesburg’s biggest and busiest malls, the Mall of Africa and Fourways Mall, have been awarded gold awards at the international Solal Awards.

Eastgate Shopping Centre, Sandton City, and Gateway Theatre of Shopping were also among the local malls that were acknowledged.

The Solal Awards recognise excellence in marketing across the retail, leisure, and mixed-use destination sectors, including shopping malls.

The awards are named after French developer Jean-Louis Solal, who is credited with bringing North American-style shopping malls to Europe. 

According to the Solal Awards, Jean-Louis Solal was known for his innovations in design, tenant mix, and brand experience, which is why this awards scheme is named after him.

“He was one of the first to see the importance of retail marketing as a means to help drive spend and asset value,” said Solal Awards.

The rankings for these awards are based on metrics such as excellence, innovation, and effectiveness.

Solal Awards explained that the entries were judged multiple times by a range of 20 marketing experts from around the globe.

It said that the trophies were awarded based on the judges’ total scores, which allowed for several bronze, silver, and gold winners in each category.

The awards were announced at the Solal Awards Marketing Conference and Gala event on 13 October 2026 in Budapest.

Mall of Africa won a gold award for its HAIR-itage pop-up campaign, which was held in September 2025 to honour the country’s heritage.

The mall partnered with Creme of Nature to celebrate “individuality and culture through hair.” The mall’s retail space was transformed into a pop-up salon, offering free hair styling sessions.

“We are incredibly proud to share that Mall of Africa received its first Gold award at the prestigious Solal Awards, held on 13 October in Budapest, Hungary, for our HAIR-itage Pop-Up campaign,” the mall said in a social media post.

The awards received 127 entries from 18 countries and 56 companies, and were open to marketing teams, managing agents, asset managers, developers, owners, and marketing agencies worldwide.

“This international recognition celebrates the creativity, innovation and impact of our campaign. This is a significant milestone for Mall of Africa, showcasing African creativity on the global stage,” said Mall of Africa.

South Africa’s malls in the spotlight

South Africa made a significant impact at the 2026 awards gala held in Budapest. The country received nominations and wins across nine shopping centres.

These include Mall of Africa, Fourways Mall, Sandton City, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Bedford, Cavendish Square, East Rand Mall, and Liberty Midlands Mall.

EBM Group emerged as the leading property management and marketing company responsible for the majority of these successful entries.

South Africa earned three Gold Awards, which reflect high scores from the judges. Mall of Africa won Gold in the Brand and Tenant Partnerships category for its HAIR-ITAGE Pop-Up Experience.

Fourways Mall secured Gold in Public Relations for its Destination Fourways Media Day, and Redefine Properties received Gold for its multi-centre campaign, Battle of the Choirs, in the Tactical Activation category.

The retail hubs in South Africa also excelled in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Sandton City received two Silver Awards in CSR for its community-focused campaigns, A Beacon of Hope and Words that Heal.

Gateway Theatre of Shopping was awarded Silver in CSR for its Reach for a Dream programme.

South Africa’s standout entries focused on local culture, social causes, and community heritage.

For example, the campaigns Words that Heal at Sandton City and Reach for a Dream at Gateway emphasised Mental Health and Social Impact.

Below is a table of the South African award winners