ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA's BIGGEST MALLS IS DYING...AND HERE'S WHY!
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- Fourways Mall is one the largest, if not the largest shopping centre in South Africa, with a gross lettable area (GLA) of 178,000 square meters.
The shopping mall consists of over 350 -400 stores, a two-level food court, a massive open-air exhibition arena, an entertainment area including movie theatres, a sizeable outdoor mini golf course and Bounce trampoline also there are various restaurants and 8000 parking bays. But all that seems like its not enough.
Something very strange is happening to this mall, its just struggling, more than 120 of the roughly 450 stores at Fourways Mall are vacant - that’s more than a quarter of outlets. Anyone visiting the centre can see just how much retail space is unoccupied. Entire wings of the centre have simply been unlet since the ‘new’ mall opened in August 2019.
Despite consumer stress and retailer pain, South Africa has not slowed down on the development of new shopping malls and centres - though there has been a notable shift to smaller ‘strip mall’ and lifestyle centre developments.
There is a clear need for third spaces in South Africa, spaces where people can gather and just be, I just don’t know if those spaces have to necessarily be malls.
What do you think ?
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Off topic, but it's great to see SA RUclips growing and that we not stuck with vlogers and gossip merchants
I know right. I love this too😄
True. Gossipers irritate me
@@thandimathuloe4538I didn't realise this but they irk my soul as well.
Preach!!! Not everyone wanting to be a degenerate bombastic fool like Mac and Sol
ABSOLUTELY
The amount of research & reading you have to undergo to do these types of videos is incredible, well done bro!
I find it difficult to respect or invest in South African assets and companies. The leadership in these sectors often seems blind, greedy, and disconnected from the harsh realities on the ground. It’s baffling how property groups continue to pour money into building shopping malls rather than investing in skills development, especially in a country with the highest inequality and unemployment rates in the world.
South Africa has more shopping malls than factories, while basic items like toothpicks are imported. We boast more upscale malls than many Western countries, yet the logic behind this escapes me. Who is supposed to shop in these malls, and with what money? The jobs created by these developments barely scratch the surface, offering wages that are often below the minimum threshold necessary for a decent standard of living.
As a nation, we seem to invest in things that maintain the status quo, rather than uplift it. It feels like we’re more concerned with appearances-looking fancy in the midst of poverty and illiteracy-than with real, sustainable progress.
Africa!
I concur with you.✊
Well said 👌
Agreed. That's the capitalism way for you. Money amd profits at all cost. Progress is simply by the way
Spot on. God bless you
Mmmmmm perhaps look whom is ruling this country. Or ruining take your pick.
Greed & corruption before common sense .
🕳☄️
🚽
Fourways mall needs to answer simple questions in order to drive more traffic.
1. How can we cater or what can we offer the Friday after drinks crowd?
2. How can we cater or what can we offer to the Saturday Morning fancy breakfast crowd?
3. How can we cater or offer the Saturday night crowd?
4. Most importantly the Sunday chillers crowd?
People don't go to malls to shop anymore, everything is online, people go to malls for a weekend experience.
I will ALWAYS go to my local cafe (like Patisserie de Paris at 9 Mackay Ave, Blairgowrie) before i go and waste my time fighting with traffic and parking fees in a mall. Shopping Malls can kiss my arse 😘🍩
Park outside the door
no parking fees
no crowds
no bumping into shopping trollies
no screaming brats
Food is NEXT LEVEL... mall restaurant will ever be able to compete.
not rocket science
@@elektrolytecompletely agree. People love the street culture like the place you mentioned in Blairgowrie and around The Parks. Going to malls is never pleasant.
They could TRY to make the massive ugly parking lot on the Northern side easier to get in and out of. Then, they would need to repurpose the top level, creating the skybars with views for evening drinks and nice restaurants with views for the breakfast crowds.
I hate malls now
The entire Fourwars area resembles Mogadishu, so it's no wonder the mall is going down the toilet as well. There's the problem folks!
It’s simple, the smaller shopping centers are just easier to navigate. I drive in, park next or closer to where I’m going. In/out and back home, no drama of a big mall with a lot of noise and walking in circles.
I see! The main problem for the decline of Fourways mall is the number of people around it. Tbh with you as an example you aim for convenience and there are several options out there like you pointed out.
I think if Fourways was a much bigger population the mall will be used more since more people want to shop for things... That was simple yoh 😂
I loathe mall experiences. From parking to shopping, shopping to parking. Terrible experience. I prefer going to squares rather.
How are they any different from what you have explained?
@@tokelomothapo6510squares are easier to navigate, you can literally park in front of the store and do a quick in and out, which is a different experience with malls, they are dreadful, i too avoid malls where possible.
I agree
@@tokelomothapo6510 Google is your friend. I can't be answering this.
Okay, so you just don’t like malls.
I think it also doesn’t help the mall when you have a hundred drillion shopping centre’s surroundings the mall eg cedar square, broadacres square, dainfern square, fourways crossing, pineslopes shopping center, The leaping frog shopping center in a 3km radius to the mall.
Exactly.
😂😂😂
I agree with your point there it's basically bieng slowly drained by competition
quite honestly going to 4 ways crossing alone is better , then 4 ways mall. It's just better designed and managed. fourways just throws a bunch of stores together in the same place all unrelated and makes you walk from corner to corner only to find none of them have anything unique that you need and are like the worst branches of their franchises with the fewest stock .
hahahahahaha. that's exactly right! When I lived there, fourways mall was never on my radar! I'd just avoid traffic, cops begging for cool drink around the monte casino area and then go straight to dainfern square
Growing mall sizes in this day & age is a losing formula. Mall shopping peaked and is no longer the ideal retail experience for consumers. Most upper middle class people prefer convenience over the mall experience. America is the biggest consumer market in the world and no one goes to malls anymore. We should be looking at that trend closely instead of investing more into something thats moving away from the culture shift. There are so many reasons why malls just aren't necessary anymore, its not the 90s/early 2000s anymore.
True, we no longer going to the malls. Why do I have to spend 2+ hours shopping while I can use that time to do something effective? For me going to a mall no longer makes sense.
@@ThabisoRatlou I think you on to something( I read a few other comments and it makes sense on what people think is the problem). Time is the problem these days , A lot of people are drained physically and mentally. Our day to day lives are really busy. people now have the luxury to watch on demand entertainment at any time , and the moment ur time is free u want to unwind with some ME time. instead of spending time at the mall. Back in 90s and early 2000s there was nothing to watch and not everybody had access to entertainment at home , people used to go to the MALL to shop monthly necessities and at the same time window shop or buy something to spoil yourself with. Now people prefer smaller shopping centers so that you can pop in and out within 30 minutes. Malls are so big that sometimes ull be tired or wont have the time to go to the entire mall. it can sometimes take u 15 minutes alone just to find a suitable parking space. Then we have online stores now and delivery services. Why do u need to drive and consume 100 150 rand petrol in your car , while u aggravated in traffic and parking issues, when u can have some1 deliver for u at home at a smaller cost. A lot of stores closing already showed us the shift from physical stores to online stores. Covid showed us a different way of living as well, with many people working from home and companies dont have to pay rent anymore or just renting at a reduced rate. I see more and more online stores popping up and its a booming market currently. Malls are going to stand empty , maybe not now but in future it will.
Malls are no longer 3rd spaces where you just go to hang out in. Covid & loadshedding made it risky to hire a retail shop at a mall with their exorbitant fees. The future is online shopping. Ppl are not going to malls anymore.
Well people still go to malls but I think the rise of squares and medium sized shopping areas has killed the need for malls in certain areas. This video (even tho the guy states he lives in the area) failed to mention the fact that Fourways Crossing and Cedar Square are LITERALLY directly across the road from Fourways mall. Then there’s dainfern square and leaping frog down the road. Fourways mall lacks “grocery shopping” convenience that those other centers offer and that’s why people don’t give it a second thought. I don’t know why that wasn’t stated in this video.
Crime in South Africa makes malls attractive. Buying some items online can be tricky e.g. clothes that you haven't fit, jewellery that you haven't inspected its quality, and large appliances that you haven't seen.
Absolutely Nothing Wrong With That Mall or Any Other Mall for That Matter"....The South African Economy Is in A Verge Of Collapse in All Sectors In General!😥
We're in a recession, in simple terms
There's some malls in the UAE that look half empty, despite a very strong economy. Here it's because of too many malls and some in the wrong areas.
@@ronjared2204 I Used to pass over 10 malls going to fourways Mall simply because I cud afford to,but now I go to the nearest one because it's very costly to go any further!😢
There's too much traffic in Sandton and Mall of Africa for example. Fourways mall is closer to me than these other malls but I have been there only once this year.
Fourways mall doesn't breath like Mall of Africa does. I like how the restaurants are in Mall of Africa than Fourways. The younger generation buy a lot from Zara which is not there in Fourways but in Sandton and Mall of Africa.
There are many young people around Fourways evidenced by how everyone places of entertainment get full, look at Cedar square and Monte Casino.
People love rooftops and being able to sit outside in restaurants which Fourways doesn't really offer in my opinion.
Its just to big bro big does not mean better I hate walking long distances to shops thats why its dying just go to a smaller mall way better and convenient
Fourways Mall is based in a good location given the large number of upper middle class households in the area. What I found to be an issue was that the stores close too early. As a professional living around the area, I probably get a chance to go to the mall after 6:30pm but the stores close at 6pm. As a result, I mentally de-select the mall when I think of going shopping. Shopper psychology suggests that you get people into a habit to keep consistent traffic going. So the mall needs to be top of mind at all times when I want to go to the mall. If it becomes the mall I go to during the week after work, it becomes my mall of choice over the weekend. In summary, the mall should open until late given the profile of the people living in the area.
The closing time is really an issue, how is Canal Walk in Cape Town able to operate until 9pm?
I guess that's why Sandton and Mall of Africa are doing way better. They close a bit late
Yep, online stores never close. Amazon got this right compared to takealot. There is always someone ready to speak to you 24/7
Food Court situated in the incorrect location,Mall of Africa design is perfect
But the shops at Fourways Mall close at 7pm, I know this because I checked last week as I'm in the same situation as you.
The taxis around the mall blocking access and causing traffic jams are a nightmare for me. I go to Fourways Crossing instead
I always get lost in Fourways mall. And I'm not the only one who gets lost in that . Mall of Africa has a simple plan & layout.
Also Cresta , simple and straightforward
Fourways mall does not attract a lot of traffic or people from the townships. This is what makes Mall of Africa profitable as it is easily accessible for people from Thembisa, Alexandra, Ivory Park, Rabie Ridge, etc.
💯
But then Cosmo city is around the corner
@@Mogotsi_P Cosmo City is just one township and is small compared to Tembisa, Alex and Ivory Park that are close to Mall of Africa
There's Diepsloot, Riverside View, Kyasands Squatter Camp, etc.
@@urbanatiathere are malls being built around those areas hence there a less traffic to fourways
Great video as always Zimasa. My observations:
1. Driving into Fourways as an area is a horrible experience. Worse now the traffic lights at that large intersection going into Fourways almost NEVER work. As a Mom, I only go to Fourways for Bounce as a result of this.
2. The mall closes far too early and doesn’t make itself desirable for the average working professional like myself who requires stores that close at the likes of 7pm…worse with that awful traffic I spoke of above.
3. Fourways Mall honestly has GREAT stores but it just hasn’t done a good enough job in marketing itself as such.
1. Fourways mall has a huge flow problem because of the old and new structures. (Different levels)
2. Last time I went there they have not finished off the renovation. ( plane area)
3. I went to a property conference where an RMB director was talking about the over supply of retail and office space back in 2015. He was right. He said we have more retail space than UK.
4. The directors took a huge risk with this development. At least they did not build the office tower yet.
5.The sa economy is very weak....
There is a distinct lack of long term vision in South Africa because everything is geared towards the shareholder economy and the bottom line.
worst when we waiting for foreign investers even.
100%. This mall was quick cash for a few individuals and they never considered the long term sustainability. Stats don’t lie and the economy at that point was barely breathing yet they still decided to go through with it. Honestly the old mall just needed a clean up and it would have been fine. This monstrosity will eventually become an explorers dream for RUclips videos once it’s abandoned. Shareholders got their money long ago.
What do you mean by everything is geared towards the shareholder economy? How is it related to the mall dying ?
@@marilynlucas5128what is profitable for a property developer and its shareholders may not be workable for store owners and consumers. They put in billions to revamp the mall. Knowing they can recoup the funds by charging high rentals, however that pinches the profits for store owners. They either increase prices or close down/move. Neither of which benefits consumers
@@marilynlucas5128 They are blind to change, unwilling to adjust and have a protectionist mindset. We make a mistake in assuming that where money is, is where the most intelligence resides. The solutions involves losses in the short term and that's just not gonna cut it. It must all fall first unfortunately. Most shareholders want quick returns.
I only went to Fourways once, and it was an attempt to do grocery shopping. It is too big. You walk crazy distances from Pick n Pay to Food Lovers. Never again
Haha lol 😂 I like it
See it as an exercise.
Same experience! We walked so far, at one point I said to my bf I would lie down and he could just pull me along by the leg 😂
Y’all complain about everything 😂
That's because you chose the long way to get there. There are short ways to get to food lovers from pick n pay.
You must walk man hau 😂😂
Traffic around Fourways Mall has been and always was a nightmare. Going to a mall is supposed to be relaxing, not a traffic nightmare. When loadshedding was regularly around stage 4-6, I cancelled Fourways mall in my mind and re-adjusted my life. Now more convenient and less time consuming options are available.
Traffic is a major issue. I avoid the area at all cost. I prefer mall of Africa. The area is cleaner and far less traffic congestion.
I love malls. This is like Westgate mall in Zimbabwe (it’s been a white elephant for years…maybe l should do visit to see if they have solved it).
l missed the opportunity to visit Fourways Mall when l was in SA (was spoilt by Mall of Afrika and Sandton).
And Midrand is home away from home… so l was biased. But l love traveling, hence me regretting not having gone out of my way to go see the developments.
I’d like to see more Black and Afrikan brands thriving in these spaces. A balance with western ones would be the best.
Great work as always, Zimasa.
Driving to fourways mall is a horrifying experience. All the beggars & hawkers at the traffic lights. The traffic lights that never work. The taxis blocking the roads. The bad state of Witkoppen Rd. It's just too many aggravating things you have to deal with as a shopper. None of which you have to worry about when going to Mall if Africa or Sandton City. It's just depressing as a location. Even lowly Eastgate mall is better at controlling it's surrounds.
Stay away from Eastgate BABA. Hamba.
We need schools not malls.
🤣🤣Its always amazing how theres no jobs but theres brand new malls for everybody.
@@stuckinmyroom1210South Africa has over 3k malls rn, new mall is been open every month, while South Africa has only 26 universities
@@stuckinmyroom1210they planning on building a new one as we speak
@@SA_CrimeWatch😢
Factories
Fourways Mall must be the vibe , close very late 12pm for 7 days . You come from work 6pm and they are closed already , they must push entertainment first , shopping last .
I've never understood this thing of shops CLOSING just as Their CUSTOMERS are being FREE to come..
So glad someone said it!!!
Closing times are the worst. I always just pass it and head to Sandton city
Hence I just go to Sandton or Mall of Africa.
Closing time is bad yes, but the workers stay far away from Fourways, even Soweto. Imagine trying to find transport at 10pm
Economy is very bad at the moment. I use to go to a mall on average 2 times a week. I am now only going to malls 2 times a month. I only go to the small shopping center in my area to buy groceries
Rent is expensive in these Malls.
Finally a channel worth watching informative ❤
I recently moved from KZN and bought a house 3 minutes drive from Four Ways Mall - I LOVE Four Ways Mall, and can not understand why it's so quiet. I always drive in and can park right outside one of the entrances under cover, every time. It has every shop that I could ever want. I hope it can recover, I would hate for them to turn part of it into offices. BTW, I have never had a traffic problem from my place - 2 or 3 minutes and I'm parked in the mall
You need a roadmap and running shoes to navigate Fourways. It is very poorly planned, the shops that customers regularly visit are just too far apart.
Love this type of content. Keep up the great work brother man 🙌🏽
Finally something informative from a SAn youtuber. Good one bru *subscribed*
Fourways was fine until they expanded it. You used to be able to park near the main shops you wanted. Now it's a great trek to get anywhere and it feels like a circular maze. The new shape has made it feel like an inaccessible indoor hike.
E-commerce is killing these malls. But in all fairness Fourways completed their upgrade construction just after the Covid lockdowns and retail has been struggling to bounce back since. They had growth in their sights in a market that has been dwindling an economy that is stagnant.
Is anything in South Africa still working lol?
They also struggled to get occupancy certificate from the Municipality. I don't know what the problem was but it took more than a year.
I think the biggest problem with malls is the parking experience (which is usually awful) and the lack of directional signage both at the parking and in the mall.
Lekker video, this is what we want to see from our local RUclipsrs! Keep the videos coming👊
Traffic Congestion
Accessibility Issues:
The Fourways area is notorious for traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. This can make accessing the mall challenging, discouraging potential visitors.
Construction and Roadworks:
Ongoing construction and roadworks in the surrounding area can further exacerbate traffic issues, making the mall less appealing for those who value convenience.
Didn't know they were struggling, the mall is beautiful too, would be a shame to see it decline, so many people would lose their jobs...
This is excellent commentary. The new design was a disaster. It turned a user friendly mall into an oversized mess. The parking lot on the Northern side is dark and cold. A horrible monolith with queues in and out even when the mall inside feels empty. Go figure.
The Mall of Africa is one mall catering for a massive area.
Fourways’s mall is surrounded by so many different places with multitudes of options - Cedar sq, Fourways Crossing, Chartwell corner, Dainfern square, Broadacres centre, Design Quarter, Leaping Frog, Pineslopes, Lonehill centre etc.
Then there’s also online shopping with no need to go and walk a mall to get what you want.
I hate malls!! There is absolutely no need for all of us to be at one place to do our shopping
Good video. Thank you. This is sad news given all the inconvenience people went thru during the construction. You covered some good points already. … here’s my opinion:
1. They went too big! And too close proximity to MoA and Sandton City
2. Almost no innovation - they just used the same mall recipe
3. IMO quite an unsightly building. As u drive to the mall, all you see is the parking lot 😢
4. Bordered by really high traffic roads (WN, Wittkopen, Cedar Rd)
5. 1 of the worst / most confusing parking lot designs i’ve encountered 🤷♂️
I’m sure it’s all fixable. Hope they find the right solutions.
💯
Your quality is something else I even subbed. Keep it up.
I live a throw stone away from the mall and I use it regularly, but to echo some of the comments, the mall is just too big for its own good. Walking from one end of the mall to the other is a workout, e.g. Food court to Food lovers market. It’s soo big that I’ve considered driving to the other side of the mall (true story). It’s other problem is the amount of shopping centres around Fourways mall, I can count 6 that are conveniently located to local residents like myself. Some of these shopping centres close late, Spar closes at 8 pm and there lies its other weakness, operating hours.
To close, 4WM problems can be summarised in four points: Terrible entry and exit points (with a touch of traffic), it’s too big for walking, lack of diversity (store/ activity offerings) and poor operating hours.
I hope the changes will be to the benefits of everyone the mall touches.
💯 agree with you! I also drive from one end of the parking lot to the other to get to the various shops!
I hate these big malls, I used to work in these property groups and the landlords are ruthless to tenants! The new shops and brands from overseas are so expensive that the average person cannot afford the clothing and so on. They rush people through season’s clothing winter, summer, Christmas… you walk your but of in them and the parking and get lost… for weekends one prefer to go to some smaller places that rather offers a different unique experience. They block people to shop for cheaper online stuff and want you to buy the expensive branded stuff from the malls. It would be much nicer if they created a huge indoor water park or nature experience, instead of every mall offering the exact same shops and brands.
It has nothing to do with traffic. The mall is just dull.... It doesn't have that thing. Ayina that thing Maan.😄
The way this country is governed, small business owners are becoming less.
Well big white business is the reason this country is the way it is
The Rentals for these malls are RIDICULOUS expensive
Welll done. Enjoyed this contents
first time viewer
I used to go to 4Ways Mall all the time, as it's close to me. After the redevelopment, I went exactly twice. Got horribly lost, couldn't find my parked car, and was frankly creeped out by the space.
This isn’t the case with just fourways mall. Many malls worldwide are not doing well. The actual experience of going to a mall just sucks now. Now everything you want to buy in a mall is now on Takealot or Amazon and can be delivered to your house the very next day. Due to the big online retail stores I can guarantee you that in 20 years most malls worldwide will close down. Same thing with food stores.
Start businesses people, the country needs us
I don't go to Fourways mall because its just a big parking lot. I also never feel safe there, its like a ghost town.
Definitely
Learn karate & you'll feel safer.🧐
Almost every industry is on a decline in spending due to the economy , things are bad . It’s not totally a reflection of of the mall’s performance but rather a consequence due to the economy
You've nailed it Mooshtaffa! The parking experience and the lifts are confusing and really suck at Fourways mall. They must make parking free, lower the rent for retail, and fix those traffic lights which are forever broken.
Maybe they should have converted part of the mall into condo's and offices. I think the idea of living close to where you work, shop, do business and play has much appeal for many. I think the covid plandemic has changed shopping behaviour resulting in closer, smaller, more accessible shops becoming more popular. The ability to shop online has given us an option to avoid big & busy malls. Many of us already have the shirt to show that once we spent many hours shopping in malls. Been there, done that.
I have been staying around the area for years, and the truth is Fourways Mall is declining because there is a nearby township that has changed the demographic mix, making wealthier shoppers uncomfortable due to increased crime concerns. This shift has led to fewer rich patrons, contributing to the mall's struggles. Soon, you will be seeing more stores like PQ clothing. That is a major factor.
I don't even stay near Fourways or Gauteng for that matter, but somehow I am offended by your remarks 😂😂😂😂
There's already PQ clothing 😂
@@bafanaOE lol
What a dumb comment really
Imagine Roots at Fourways😭
MoA has the same problem too with people from Tembisa flocking there.
Appreciate your content 🙏🏽
My pleasure! I enjoy making it.
I think people want smaller centres which are close to home. Older people find these huge places too intimidating and exhausting to navigate.
I am old and I love malls🎉
Also the signage in Fourways needs to start at the parking so you can park near the big stores where you're going to shop the most
I'm not surprised. I've always avoided Fourways Mall like the plague. It's a nightmare to shop in.
If that traffic light on the corner of Witkoppen and Cedar could remain functional for more than 10 minutes per month, the mall would already do better. Entry and exit from the place is a nightmare, the mall is confusing to navigate and it just feels poorly cobbled together. Not to mention that Fourways is a rather miserable place and the people who live there are terribly inhospitable. I simply don't like going there.
And also going to malls is kinda like not a thing anymore. Besides the collapsing economy, people don't have money, and there's nothing exciting about getting lost in large concrete.
Malls need to create experiences, Galleria in Amanzimtoti/KwaMakhutha was smart enough to create a theme park inside the mall.
Over concentration of infrastructure in Gauteng Province is what killing the south Africa economy. Provinces like Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape are overlooked and underdeveloped because the government is afraid is direct investment and development plans of the big private sectors.
Limpopo and Northern Cape would has celebrated and benefited from this mall than Gauteng Province. This mall investments and many malls would be mini economic zones in those provinces
Moving from one floor to another sucks. Lifts go up to a certain point and this is not clear when you get on them. Imagine riding lifts up and down like crazy person. I even gave up and just went home.
Never went anywhere else again except Clicks and Dischem, because I memorised my entrance and exits well. Also that plane????
Went to Fourways Mall last week for the first time in many years. Great to have wide walkways and high ceilings. However I gave up after realizing that the two retailers I wanted to specifically visit were “miles apart” and the time it would take was not worth the effort, especially with so many empty spaces. Back to my “regular malls”.
Well done on a well researched and informative video. It resonates with my family as we have been asking a lot of questions and this video sheds light on some of those questions.
We do feel very sorry for the tenants that had to close their doors. Some of them had been there for many years prior to the revamp of the mall but post revamp rents became unsustainable. Very sad!
Another informative banger🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤ Thank you, Zimasa💪🏼🎉💪🏼🎉
I am 37 years old grew up in Soweto and used to go to CBD Carlton center shopping centre, till today i have never seen vacancies, it always fully rented 😮 i wish you can do video about Carlton centre.
The shops in lower ground is empty, in fact Pick n Pay just closed shop!
@@bobbyshabangu you don't get my point, pick and pay can close but Shoprite will get in.
Carlton centre is becoming more and more vacant and boring by the day
@@diamondseries7221 let's see since it has new owner, remember it was owned by government under Transnet.
@@AmoMoëti😂😂😂
I hate their lifts with all my heart. I once spent +- 20 mins trying to get to the roof parking. the buttons are marked lm, sm, etc.
There should turn some sizable portions (30% e.g) of these giant malls into theatres, halls, offices, indoor sporting/musical arenas etc. and 40% portions can be reserved mostly for grocery stores and restaurants , the rest 30% for anything else. People are buying stuff online these days, plus its no longer safe to drive around the streets.
I’m inclined to agree with you. More office space and functional spaces. 🙏🏾
They should have one passage called the South African section. Proper South African brands and enough space for a stage so once they improve they can book artists to perform there
My wife's phone was stolen there, so no thank you
Watched this video in the morning and then went to Sandton to look for some clothing I needed. Horrible parking experience, horrible shopping experience (no choice and massive increase in price from the exact same items online) and horrible service experience. Malls should essentially be showrooms for online stores, whether they like it or not, not a seperate shop. But stores don't treat it like that and neither do malls. So good luck to them. Evolve or die, I'm not gonna cry.
I grew up going to Fourways Mall but since this development it lacked the appeal to me. From getting lost inside, exits that are a go-around, complicated elevators and paying for parking will alleniate a lot of its previous customers from the township.
I literally visted the mall today for the first time in my life, I was in awe at how big it was but was so disappointed at how empty it was...
I worked at Monte Casino for 10 years and drove past the mall thousands of times.
Honestly I didn't even know what the mall was called.
Traffic was so bad that all I wanted, was to get as far away from there as possible.
The area (with the exception of the casino) looks dry and scruffy. Dirty roads pavements with patches of bricks missing. People walking randomly all over the place. Security fences lock you into the street you are driving on.
I have never been into the mall.
It’s their operating times. I remember living in Fourways or also working close to Fourways Mall, you get discouraged to go to the mall because they will most likely be closed while MOA operates until later.
Great content. Thank you!
Big malls have too many of the same shops duplicated. Carnival mall is always packed as it has just enough shops. Also, e-commerce has a better variety of trends to suite all tastes. Malls play it safe, which becomes a bit of a cookie cutter effect.
That is South Africa. While there is a lot of empty malls or dying malls but in the mean time, they keep on building more. And the rent is rediculious
Malls are a pain and 4ways is so big now it intimidates instead of invites. Small local centres are so much easier for almost all most people's needs. needs.
Mall design is vital!!!
We have too many malls in this country with many people unemployed. Those who have money shop in Dubai and Europe.
I am so happy I came across this video because someone is asking the question(s) I've had answers to in persistent gripes/complaints, so let's begin:
1. Fourways Mall is by far and away the worst planned retail & commercial property I've ever encountered. What do I mean?
- It's anchor tenants (woolies, checkers, banks, food court) are not anchors in a planning sense at all anymore. The first mistake was an utterly insane over development of parking spaces such that the mall doesn[t actually have an identifiable facade. The consequence of this is that the multistorey parking *wraps around* the two most visible and once points of easy access: you see grey parking levels on Witkoppen, Winnie Mandela, Cedar roads.
-by building what is ordinarily underground style or internally intergrated parkades as add on's to the outside perimeter, it has (1) pushed the actual stores back ito walking distance for both drivers and pedestrians .
-On pedestrians: there effectively isn't easy pedestrian access - at all. To get in on foot coming off william nicol, you need to enter the doors catering for the ground floor parking in that area.
It cannot be stressed enough that to the non-archetect of this expansion, pedestrians are a lie.
-So you enter using the entrance leading to the foodcourt/sterkinekor downstairs. But you're here to do a grocery run. Sorry, you'd have to go up a level, walk across what feels like 2-3 city blocks to get to Checkers first (you've passed a row of stores w a Vodacom, get to a T (oh look, Paul's ice cream - 50-100m away from the food court, a level up from the movies, and not surrounded by other related stores, cool you walk 30m and you're in a big circle areas that you see at malls - there's an exclusive books, starbucks, you then turn left again and walk 30m and finally you're at Checkers. But you're actually going to Woolies! damn well you walk another like 80-100m down, and you get to Woolies. You've read all of that and you're tired right and begging me to get to the point? Oh but imagine how tired I am as the customer whose near completing a leg of Iron Man.
- You've parked or walked in using the entrance above by the food court but you're actually going to PnP and then need to go to the bank. Simple ja? No, don't be silly. Please copy and paste my walking guide above, at the big circle point where EB is, you have to hit a right and walk through a long line of stores and then maybe you get to PnP, but shucks you need to get to a bank for cash. Well, looks like you're going to u-turn, get back to the big circle, carry on to Checkers, turn right and hit woolies and walk further to Apple, turn left and walk another 50m you hit one bank I think Standard? But you're going to Nedbank walk another 30-50m, going to fnb, well at nedbank take the escalator down a level. By this point you've come into the mall at entrance off william nicol, but have walked via diagonal maze to cnr wirkoppen and cedar,
So I think that does some to layout the absence of a layout.
2. Fourways has a big anchor cannibalisation problem. You can go to Checkers at Fourways Mall, Pineslopes, and Leaping Frog until recently. Same situation for PnP, Woolies. The residential client is going to Broadacres shopping centre for Spar and Woolies, Cedar for whatever is there lol, Dainfern square, and Lonehill centre. So the customer who'd use the mall for regular stuff at food or other chains doesn't have to doesn't want to. There goes foot traffic and sales.
3. I wish I could go on but I'm so tired of typing. But that's the message: everything is too long, far, and could have been easier.
I was there to days ago by force and I let out a silent scream when I realised I had to go to Woolies, Nedbank, and PnP because those are at three sep. sections of the mall and my entrance is the one by the food court.
They did really well with the road. If you want to skip the traffic at Witkoppen x Cedar rd. seamless!
I can't stand this mall. You can't find any place. It was much better when it was it's original size.
Here are my observations:
1. There seem to be easy access into it from the ground into the mall. This creates uneasiness to affording people. Some grab your phone and run out easily.
2. Less security visibility. I hardly see a security officer.
3. There is few variety of restaurants. Restaurants should be closing late. Shops should be closing late like at Sandton Mall.
Malls are boring and the same everywhere, we need walkable cities and communities that support small businesses and unique shops
Just leaving this comment and my like because proudly South African!
It’s the parking - No lighting No notifications of where the shops are. It’s dangerous trying to get in and out
Been to Mall Of Africa twice, Never Again!!!
The upmarket property market is also crashing. For four and a half you can get a townhouse that cost six million a few years ago, and bond repayments have gone up twenty per cent. Fourways Mall is right in the centre of Millennial/Gen Z territory. After paying their bonds and levies and German car leases, these guys don't have money left over for Gucci. It's gotten so bad that some of them are even sending their kids to government schools.
No stairs to many parking entrances is a huge frustration. So one is forced to wait forever for the elevator. The traffic around the mall is horrific. Taxis unapologetically blocking lanes and hooting constantly like hooting is going to cause people to come through a portal and fill the taxi. Like we know where you are, no need to hoot CONSTANTLY. No thanks, avoid like the plague.
I have a phobia about lifts, so it's a total nightmare trying to get from A to B at 4ways Mall.
Fabulous video! Thank you!
They failed to design the exterior of Fourways mall. You can’t even see the front of the mall look what they did to mall of Africa very attractive from a distance. Designers failed
Vacant mall space is a concern all over the industry. These problems boils down to an over developed retail space capacity versus a shrinking economy. More pain is in the offing. Cosmetic improvements will not solve the underlying problems.
Excessively high rentals will be the first problem coupled with higher retail prices... shoppers won't support overpriced retailers
I moved to Gauteng 2 years ago. I go to Sandton mall, Mall of Africa and Rosebank Mall very frequently. This is the first I hear that there's a big mall in Fourways. It doesn't have have hype it seems
They recently restructured the parking lot as if they are not about to go anywhere. It’s so huge inside and I hate it. I prefer Cedar Square or fourways crossing.
Too big. No idea where anything is. Sad. Traffic is a problem. There must be a solution. I do hope so.
My girlfriend has been pointing these things out since moving to fourways 😂 the worst part is how fourways doesnt have a sense of gathering shops like pharmacies together... leads to walking on slippery tiles that make you tired for an unnecessary period of time... hahaha traffic is the worst, pay stations for tickets too...damn
Since COVID, for me personally there’s just been an anxiety attached to through going to the malls In Johburg. Large closed areas with tons of people walking and talking openly isn’t as attractive anymore.
Also brilliant video 👌🏽
The mall is very big and has the potential to be the best.
1. Top of the flop is the operating times. My house is 5km from the mall but I prefer going to Sandton because I know I'll find shops opened at all times.
2. Lighting and unfinished structures comes second. It's I sometimes feel like I'm walking in the lost city.
3. Consolidation of shops to be properly structured like furniture, groceries, restaurants and banks.
4. And lastly the most important one I have to repeat "operating times"😡