Mall of Africa
A major two-level shopping and leisure destination in Waterfall City, Midrand, South Africa.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Mall of Africa is a large shopping and entertainment complex in Waterfall City, Midrand, Gauteng, positioned between Johannesburg and Pretoria. The mall was conceived as the retail centrepiece of the broader Waterfall City mixed-use development, a planned urban district intended to combine commercial, residential, leisure and public spaces. Its location gives it access to a substantial part of Gauteng through the regional road network, although its opening also demonstrated the traffic pressures associated with introducing a major destination into a rapidly developing area. Construction began in 2012. The project was initially expected to open in March 2016, but the planned opening moved to April. Mall of Africa opened to the public on 28 April 2016. It was described as the third-largest single-phase shopping mall built in Africa and contains approximately 130,000 square metres of total retail area. The property is arranged across two principal retail levels, complemented by an outdoor restaurant plaza with a direct connection to Waterfall City Park. The tenant mix combines established South African department stores, supermarkets and fashion retailers with international brands and concepts that were introduced or expanded in the South African market through the mall. Anchor tenants include Woolworths, Game and Checkers Hyper. The centre has also hosted prominent stores for H&M, Cotton On and Forever 21, as well as South African locations or flagship-format stores associated with brands including Starbucks, Mango Man, The Kooples, Boutique Adela, Zara Home, Armani Exchange, Under Armour and Interoptika. This combination supports a positioning centred on broad regional convenience, fashion, dining and destination shopping rather than on a single product category. Architecture and interior design give the mall a distinct Africa-focused identity. Its internal courts draw on different geographical and geological environments across the continent. The Crystal Court, in the northern section, uses angular forms to evoke Southern Africa's mineral wealth. The Great Lakes Court reflects East Africa through calmer materials and a gentler visual language. The Desert Court references the Sahara and motifs associated with Berber carpets, while the Oleum Court represents West Africa's oil wealth. A central Forest Walk Court draws on the rainforests of Central Africa. These themed spaces provide orientation within the large complex while linking the building's commercial role to a regional visual narrative. The opening attracted very high visitor numbers. Traffic congestion affected the N1 and N3 highways and roads around Midrand, while opening promotions at some stores produced queues extending around shop entrances. The scale of the launch underlined the mall's immediate destination status, but also prompted questions about whether every retailer and supporting transport arrangement had been fully prepared for opening-day demand. Mall of Africa remains an active retail property and a prominent component of Waterfall City's commercial landscape.
History
Mall of Africa was planned as the principal retail component of Waterfall City, a mixed-use development in Midrand, Gauteng. Its position between Johannesburg and Pretoria was intended to make the centre accessible to a wide portion of the Gauteng market while supporting the growth of the surrounding Waterfall district. Rather than being designed as a small neighbourhood centre, the project was conceived as a regional destination with a substantial retail footprint, a broad tenant roster and dedicated leisure and dining spaces. Construction started in 2012. The original schedule targeted a March 2016 opening, but the timetable was subsequently shifted to April. The centre finally opened to the public on 28 April 2016. With about 130,000 square metres of total retail area, it was identified as the third-largest single-phase shopping mall built in Africa. Its layout comprises two main shopping levels and an outdoor restaurant plaza linked directly to Waterfall City Park. The retail strategy combined major South African anchors with international fashion, lifestyle and food brands. Woolworths, Game and Checkers Hyper served as principal anchors, while stores associated with H&M, Cotton On and Forever 21 provided prominent fashion destinations. The centre also introduced or established South African locations for brands such as Starbucks, Mango Man, The Kooples, Boutique Adela, Zara Home, Armani Exchange, Under Armour and Interoptika. This mix was intended to make the mall both a practical shopping facility and a regional experience destination. The building's design was developed around an interpretation of Africa's landscapes and geological resources. The northern Crystal Court uses sharp geometric elements inspired by Southern Africa's mineral wealth. The eastern Great Lakes Court employs calmer materials associated with the lakes of East Africa. In the south, the Desert Court references the Sahara and traditional Berber carpet motifs. The western Oleum Court represents West Africa's oil resources, while the central Forest Walk Court evokes Central Africa's rainforest environments. The themed courts provide distinct identities within the expansive interior and reinforce the mall's continental name and concept. The opening generated unusually intense public interest. Traffic backed up along the N1 and N3 and on roads approaching Midrand. Promotional pricing at some stores attracted hundreds of shoppers, with queues extending around entrances. The event established Mall of Africa as an immediate regional draw, while also exposing the logistical challenges of opening a large shopping destination at full public scale. The mall continues to operate as a major retail, dining and leisure component of Waterfall City.
Products and positioning
A large, destination-oriented, mid- to upper-middle-market shopping and leisure centre serving the Gauteng region.
Department store
Woolworths
A major anchor tenant offering department-store merchandise within Mall of Africa's broad retail mix. Its presence contributes fashion, home and food-related shopping to the centre's destination proposition.
Hypermarket and general merchandise
Game
One of the mall's principal anchor formats, providing general merchandise and value-oriented household shopping alongside the centre's fashion, dining and lifestyle tenants.
Hypermarket
Checkers Hyper
A hypermarket anchor that broadens Mall of Africa's offer beyond discretionary shopping by providing grocery and everyday household purchasing within the regional centre.
Fashion and lifestyle retail · 2016
International fashion and lifestyle stores
The mall's fashion and lifestyle offer includes stores associated with H&M, Cotton On, Forever 21, Mango Man, The Kooples, Zara Home, Armani Exchange and Under Armour. Together these tenants support the property's positioning as a destination for international and contemporary brands.
Dining and leisure · 2016
Outdoor restaurant plaza
An outdoor dining area connected directly to Waterfall City Park. The plaza extends the mall experience beyond enclosed retail floors and provides a setting for restaurants and visitor-focused activity.
Brand decisions
2016
Develop a continental Africa-themed destinationStrategyBackground
The mall was created as the retail centrepiece of Waterfall City and required a large-scale identity capable of distinguishing it as a regional destination.
Action taken
The design organized the interior around themed courts representing African geological features, landscapes and regions, including the Crystal, Great Lakes, Desert, Oleum and Forest Walk courts.
Aftermath
The thematic architecture became a defining part of the centre's visitor environment and brand identity.
2016
Open as a regional destination centreOtherBackground
The project was planned between Johannesburg and Pretoria with a large retail area and a broad anchor and international-brand tenant mix.
Action taken
Mall of Africa opened with two principal retail levels, major department-store and hypermarket anchors, fashion and lifestyle stores, and an outdoor restaurant plaza connected to Waterfall City Park.
Aftermath
Opening-day demand produced severe congestion around Midrand and long queues at some promotional store openings, demonstrating the immediate scale of the mall's regional draw.
Recent events
Mall of Africa wins Solal Awards gold[5]
Mall of Africa received its first gold award at the Solal Awards for its HAIR-itage Pop-Up campaign. The awards ceremony was held in Budapest on 13 October.
Sources5 sources
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