Constantia Emporium
Constantia Emporium is an upmarket boutique shopping center on Ladies Mile Road in Constantia, Cape Town.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Constantia Emporium is an upscale neighborhood shopping center in Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa. Located on Ladies Mile Road near the M3 freeway, the center occupies a roughly 1.5-hectare site that carries substantial historical significance for the Solomon family, the original owners and beneficiaries of the property. Its development followed a lengthy land-restitution process connected to the apartheid-era displacement of the family. The property formed part of the historic Sillery farm and comprised Lots 10 and 11. Hajie Abdullah and Saba Owen Solomon acquired the lots in 1902 for £340 and £600 respectively. The family used the land for vegetable and grape farming, supplying local consumers and export markets. The site also operated as a small commercial hub, with farm stalls selling fresh produce, meat, and dairy products and serving farmers from across the surrounding area. During the 1960s, the apartheid government took the property under the Group Areas Act after Constantia was designated for white occupation. The Solomon family was forcibly removed and dispersed to areas including Crawford, Rondebosch East, Grassy Park, and Wynberg. From the 1970s until 2015, the land was used by the City of Cape Town as a refuse-disposal and recycling depot. The family lodged a restitution claim with the Land Claims Commission in 1996. After years of litigation and administrative delays, the Solomon family won the claim around 2010 and recovered the title deed in 2012. The restitution settlement required the family to present a business plan for the future use of the property. With assistance from Checkers, the family proposed a retail development anchored by a flagship supermarket. The resulting project was named Constantia Emporium and was intended to keep the land in family ownership while generating benefits for the family beneficiaries through commercial leases. The development encountered opposition from the Constantia Ratepayers' and Residents' Association, which argued in 2018 that the proposed center was too large and inconsistent with the area's character. The City of Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal approved the planning application, and a subsequent appeal was rejected by then-mayor Patricia de Lille. Construction proceeded, and the two Solomon family trusts held a launch event on 23 November 2019. The launch framed the center as both a commercial project and an expression of the family's successful recovery of land lost through apartheid legislation. Constantia Emporium contains approximately 26 stores and combines food retail, restaurants, professional workspace, and offices. Its tenant mix has included Checkers, Woolworths, Clicks, Knead, and Venture Workspace. The center provides both surface and underground parking, a double-volume retail level, and upper-floor office accommodation. Its architecture has received South African Property Owners Association recognition, including awards for innovative retail development in 2020 and for a small boutique retail development in 2021. The center's principal retail attraction is a premium Checkers supermarket designed for affluent consumers. The store incorporates prepared-food and destination-shopping features, including artisanal bakery products, stone-baked pizza, a wine-tasting room, a sushi counter, a chocolatier, Kauai, and Starbucks. Constantia Emporium also emphasizes local sourcing and environmental initiatives. Solar panels cover approximately half of the building's roof, while the Checkers store has used recyclable or compostable paper bags, energy-efficient lighting, a community food garden partnership with Constantia Primary School, and surplus-food donations to The Ark City of Refuge. A heritage display beside the main stairwell documents the Solomon family's ownership, displacement, restitution, and development of the center. This historical interpretation is central to the brand's identity: Constantia Emporium functions not only as a retail destination but also as a family-owned redevelopment of restituted land.
History
The Constantia Emporium site has roots in the Solomon family's agricultural and commercial history in Constantia. The property consisted of Lots 10 and 11 of the Sillery farm. Hajie Abdullah and Saba Owen Solomon purchased the two lots in 1902, paying £340 for one and £600 for the other. The family cultivated vegetables and grapes for local consumption and export. Farm stalls on the property sold produce, meat, and dairy goods, and the site served as a trading point for nearby farmers. The family's ownership was interrupted during apartheid. In the 1960s, the state applied the Group Areas Act to Constantia, designating the suburb as a white area and removing non-white property owners. The Solomon family was evicted from the farm, where approximately 30 homes stood, and relatives were relocated to several Cape Town communities. The land was subsequently used for decades as a municipal refuse and recycling depot, operating from approximately the 1970s until 2015. The Solomon family pursued restitution through the Land Claims Commission. The claim was lodged in 1996, and after a prolonged process the family succeeded in the case around 2010. The title deed was returned in 2012. The family reportedly incurred substantial legal expenses during the claim process, but the property was restored to the family trusts. As part of the settlement, officials required a development plan explaining how the land would be used. Working with Checkers, the family submitted a proposal for a retail center with a flagship supermarket as its anchor. The proposed development was not universally supported. In 2018, the Constantia Ratepayers' and Residents' Association challenged the project, arguing that the design and scale did not suit the established character of Constantia. The City of Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal approved the application. An appeal was later rejected by then-mayor Patricia de Lille, allowing the project to proceed. Constantia Emporium was launched on 23 November 2019 by the two Solomon family trusts. The event highlighted the connection between the development and the family's recovery of property lost through apartheid. Family representatives indicated that the center would benefit a large group of beneficiaries. Rather than selling the land, the family retained ownership and created a commercial center whose units could be leased to tenants. The completed center provides approximately 26 stores, restaurants, a co-working facility, offices, and parking. Its tenant mix has included Checkers, Woolworths, Clicks, Knead, and Venture Workspace. The architectural program has received SAPOA awards for innovative retail development in 2020 and small boutique retail development in 2021. The anchor Checkers store was designed for the high-income Constantia market and uses premium finishes and destination-oriented food departments. Its features have included an artisanal bakery, stone-baked pizza, a wine-tasting room, sushi, hand-made chocolates, Kauai, and Starbucks. The center also promotes local suppliers and environmental measures. Solar panels cover about half of the roof, and the supermarket has used recyclable or compostable bags, efficient lighting, a school food-garden project, and surplus-food collection for The Ark City of Refuge. A heritage installation near the main stairwell records the Solomon family's ownership, forced removal, restitution, and redevelopment of the site. This makes the center an example of commercial property development shaped by land-restitution history, rather than a conventional privately assembled shopping-center project.
- 2021
Wins SAPOA boutique retail award
[1]The center wins an award in SAPOA's small boutique retail-development category.
- 2020
Receives SAPOA innovation award
[1]Constantia Emporium receives SAPOA recognition for innovative excellence in retail development.
- 2019
Shopping center launches
[1]The two Solomon family trusts host the formal launch of Constantia Emporium on 23 November.
- 2018
Planning approval proceeds despite residents' opposition
[1]The municipal planning tribunal approves the retail development after opposition from the Constantia Ratepayers' and Residents' Association.
- 2012
Title deed is returned
[1]The Solomon family receives the title deed to the property.
- 2010
Solomon family wins restitution case
[1]The family achieves a successful land-restitution outcome after years of proceedings.
- 1996
Land-restitution claim is lodged
[1]The Solomon family submits a claim to the Land Claims Commission seeking restoration of the property.
- 1960
Property is taken under apartheid-era land policy
[1]The Solomon family is displaced after Constantia is designated as a white area under the Group Areas Act.
- 1902
Solomon family acquires the site
[1]Hajie Abdullah and Saba Owen Solomon purchase the two lots that later become the Constantia Emporium site.
Products and positioning
An upscale, community-oriented boutique shopping center combining premium everyday retail, restaurants, workspace, sustainability initiatives, and a visible land-restitution heritage.
Shopping center · 2019
Constantia Emporium retail center
The core offering is an upscale neighborhood shopping center with approximately 26 stores, restaurants, office accommodation, co-working space, surface parking, and underground parking. The center combines premium grocery and lifestyle retail with food-service and professional-workspace uses.
Grocery retail
Checkers flagship supermarket
The approximately 2,330-square-meter anchor supermarket was designed for an affluent customer base. It includes conventional grocery retail alongside destination food features such as artisanal breads and pastries, stone-baked pizza, a wine-tasting room, sushi, handcrafted chocolates, Kauai, and Starbucks.
Lifestyle retail and hospitality · 2019
Retail and food-service tenant mix
The center's tenant mix has included Woolworths, Clicks, Knead, and other retail and restaurant operators. These tenants complement the anchor supermarket and position the site as a convenient premium shopping and dining destination for Constantia residents.
Co-working and office services
Venture Workspace
Venture Workspace provides a co-working component within the center, alongside upper-floor office accommodation. Its inclusion broadens Constantia Emporium beyond conventional retail and supports a mixed-use, neighborhood-oriented operating model.
Brand decisions
2019
Launch of Constantia EmporiumProduct launchBackground
The development was created as the commercial use proposed for restituted Solomon family land.
Action taken
The two Solomon family trusts formally launched the shopping center on 23 November 2019.
Aftermath
The project opened with approximately 26 stores, a flagship Checkers supermarket, restaurants, workspace, offices, and structured and surface parking.
2018
Proceeding with the Constantia Emporium developmentStrategyBackground
The Constantia Ratepayers' and Residents' Association challenged the proposed center on architectural and scale-related grounds.
Action taken
After municipal planning approval and rejection of the association's appeal, the Solomon family proceeded with construction.
Aftermath
The center launched in November 2019 and became an operating mixed-use retail destination in Constantia.
2010
Family selects commercial redevelopment after restitutionStrategyBackground
Following the successful restitution of the property, the settlement process required the Solomon family to provide a business plan for its future use.
Action taken
The family chose to retain the land and develop an upscale shopping center, with Checkers as the proposed flagship tenant, rather than dispose of the property.
Aftermath
The plan ultimately produced Constantia Emporium, allowing the family trusts and their beneficiaries to participate in the property's long-term commercial value.
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