New shopping mall opens in South Africa – joins the latest shopping trend

The Mehlareng Mall in Limpopo has just opened, joining the growing number of rural retail centres in South Africa.

The new mall is the third and final opening for the McCormick Property Development (MPD) and Exemplar teams.

The mall opened its doors at the start of November and is set to serve the communities of Mehlareng, Mahlako and the surrounding Zebediela areas.

The 10,000 sqm mall centre is anchored by Shoprite and Cashbuild and is also home to a selection of affordable fashion brands including the Mr Price and Pepkor groups, as well as three ATMs from the nation’s biggest banks.

The mall was developed by MPD in partnership with Kubela Properties, with the mall aligning with the company’s strategy of bringing formal retail infrastructure to rural and township areas. It added that high- quality, convenient retail remains in high demand in these areas.

“Each mall in our portfolio is carefully designed to meet the specific needs of its
community and Mehlareng Mall is no exception”, said MD of MPD, Jason McCormick.

“By avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, we ensure that every development integrates seamlessly into its local context while promoting economic growth.”

The mall was designed in partnership with Living Planet Architects, with the mall is an aesthetic highlight in the area.

Looming bulkheads, natural lighting and wide comfortable walkways are designed to create a relaxed internal shopping experience, while the two well-lit feature entrances should ensure smooth customer flow through the mall.

Brand presence is continually enforced through tiling, wall motifs, mall furniture and lighting featuring ‘M’ iconography in bright orange and green colour palettes.

The mall was developed in just seven months and should provide retail convenience to communities that previously had to travel between 60 and 70 km to the closest towns.

Travel savings should assist shoppers with purchasing basic shopping essentials that have previously had to be strictly budgeted for.

Images of the new mall can be found below:

The new mall forms part of a growing trend to build retail centres in South Africa’s more remote areas.

Urban areas in South Africa, especially those in Gauteng, are filled with shopping centres, meaning that the construction of rural retail is now booming in South Africa.

Despite the push into rural areas, retail sales suffered in South Africa in 2022 and 2024, with low-, middle- and high-income earners being hit by elevated inflation, 15-year high interest rates and load shedding.

Despite the push into rural retail, many low-income consumers felt the pain of the challenging economic environment, which is characterised by elevated inflation, 15-year high interest rates and the pain of load shedding.

However, the mood around South Africa appears to be changing, with retail sales growth hitting 3.3% in August and 0.9% in September.

“Year-to-date, retail sales have increased by 1.3% compared to the same period last year, indicating a gradual improvement in the consumer environment,” said FNB Senior Economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi.

“In the short term, the introduction of the two-pot retirement system could provide temporary relief to financially strained consumers, potentially boosting shopping activity.”

“In addition, as inflation subsides and interest rates gradually decline, consumers can expect to see increased discretionary income, supporting their spending. Furthermore, the easing of domestic political uncertainty should contribute to stronger asset prices, bolstering consumer balance sheets.”

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