Mall of Africa

What Mall of Africa does

Mall of Africa is a super-regional shopping and lifestyle destination located in Waterfall City, Midrand, South Africa, opened in 2016. The asset comprises approximately 300 retail stores across fashion, health and beauty, electronics, homeware, jewellery, banking, and dining, anchored by international luxury brands (Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, COACH, Kate Spade, Jo Malone, Versace Jeans Couture) alongside South African flagships (Woolworths, Maxhosa Africa, TSHEPO, Silki Skincare). Entertainment is provided through a Ster-Kinekor cinema complex with nine screens including IMAX, 3D, and Prestige Premiere, plus Bounce trampolines, Discovery Soccer Park, and Fun Park. The mall is part of the broader Waterfall City precinct, integrated with hotels, residential developments, and a Gautrain station with direct bus service.

The business operates a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core revenue comes from recurring retail tenant rentals across approximately 300 leases; secondary streams include exhibition and event-space leasing (seven named courts plus the 3,000 sqm Waterfall City Park) and transaction-fee parking services with weekday/weekend tariffs and weekend flat-rate pricing. Supporting infrastructure includes 15,000+ rooftop solar panels providing backup power, EV fast-charging via Audi, free Wi-Fi, family and accessibility amenities, and the Izinga Transport Hub opened March 2026 integrating taxi and e-hailing services. SOOK Mall of Africa, launched in 2021 as Africa's first flexible short-term retail concept, and the Beauty Squad influencer program (750,000+ combined social followers) extend the platform into emerging-brand leasing and youth-targeted marketing. The mall is operated as a private retail asset under the Attacq umbrella, with technology integrations including admyt (ticketless parking via license plate recognition) and contactless payment partners Zapper, SnapScan, and Eezi.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, attracting shoppers through events, seasonal activations (for example, The Goal Zone winter school-holiday activation), email newsletter, and content marketing across Instagram, TikTok, and the mall's blog. The tenant mix is structured to serve four primary segments: general consumers and families, youth aged 8-24 (the core demographic behind eight consecutive Sunday Times Generation Next Coolest Mall awards), luxury and premium shoppers, and emerging brand tenants using the SOOK format. Pricing for parking is publicly disclosed on a unit-pricing model ranging from R10 for two hours to R90 for 8-24 hours on weekdays, with a R15 flat weekend/holiday rate.

Name

Mall of Africa

Legal name

Mall of Africa

Website

https://mallofafrica.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Mall of Africa is a super-regional shopping and lifestyle destination in Midrand, South Africa, housing approximately 300 retail stores, Ster-Kinekor IMAX cinemas, dining, and supplementary services like SOOK flexible retail, event spaces, and ticketless parking for consumers and tenant brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shopping Mall and Retail Property Operations

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455)

SIC

Retail-Department Stores (5311)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Department Store–Anchored Multi-Category Retail (Store-in-Store) (CRAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Retail shopping centre
• Shopping mall services
• Retail tenant leasing
• Event venue rentals
• Lifestyle entertainment destination

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Retail Tenant Rentals: Mall generates revenue through renting retail space to various brands and stores. The mall hosts approximately 300 retail offerings including fashion, food, entertainment, and services.
2. Exhibition and Event Space Leasing: Revenue from leasing exhibition spaces (Centre Court, Pick N Pay Court, Spur Court, Ster-Kinekor Court, Woolworths Court, Crystal Court, EL&N Court) and Waterfall City Park for events, brand activations, and corporate functions
3. Parking Services: Revenue generated from parking facilities with various rate structures for weekdays, weekends, and public holidays. Includes ticketless parking system via admyt partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mall of Africa operates a large physical shopping centre in Waterfall City, Midrand, leasing retail space to approximately 300 fashion, beauty, electronics, homeware, jewellery, banking, dining, and entertainment tenants. Beyond retail, the mall operates premium exhibition courts, the SOOK flexible short-term retail concept, the Waterfall City Park outdoor events venue, paid parking (with the admyt ticketless LPR system), nine Ster-Kinekor cinemas, family and accessibility amenities, and the Izinga Transportation Hub integrating taxi and e-hailing services.

Product overview

Mall of Africa is a premier shopping destination and lifestyle center located in Waterfall City, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on 300+ retail stores (fashion, health & beauty, electronics, homeware, jewellery, sports), complemented by entertainment venues (nine state-of-the-art Ster-Kinekor cinemas including IMAX and 3D, Bounce, Discovery Soccer Park, Fun Park), diverse dining options (upscale restaurants and coffee shops), and flexible retail spaces (SOOK Mall of Africa for emerging brands). Additional service modules include Waterfall City Park (3,000 sqm outdoor events venue), admyt ticketless parking with license plate recognition, free Wi-Fi, back-up power with 15,000+ solar panels, EV charging stations (Audi partnership), Izinga Transportation Hub, family and accessibility services, exhibition spaces, and the Beauty Squad influencer program. The mall integrates with multiple payment platforms (Zapper, SnapScan, Eezi, admyt) and transportation services (Uber, Gautrain).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fashion Retail Store Leasing Leased retail floor space to over 300 fashion, footwear, accessory, and specialty retail tenants including Zara, H&M, Nike, Levi's, Polo, Calvin Klein, Cotton On Kids, New Balance, The North Face, Old School, TSHEPO, Pringle of Scotland, Kate Spade, COACH, HARLI + HARPA, and Silki Skincare.
• Ster-Kinekor Cinema Complex Leased entertainment space for Ster-Kinekor's nine state-of-the-art movie theatres including IMAX Theatre, Prestige Premiere, and 3D Theatre options, operating as part of Africa's largest cinema exhibitor with 329 screens nationally.
• Family Entertainment Venues Leased space for active family entertainment venues including Bounce trampolines, Discovery Soccer Park indoor soccer facility, Fun Park, and Kyalami Indoor Karting.
• Restaurant and Dining Leasing Leased dining floor space to upscale restaurants and coffee shops including Tashas, EL&N London, Moo Moo, Doppio Zero, Spur, Rocomamas, Ocean Basket, and Fireroom offering diverse culinary experiences.
• Luxury Brand Boutique Leasing Leased space for high-end fashion boutiques including Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, Versace Jeans Couture, Emporio Armani, Coach, Kate Spade, Maxhosa Africa, Polo Classics, and Paul Smith.
• SOOK Mall of Africa Flexible Retail Space Flexible short-term retail space on the Upper Level for innovative brands, startups, and entrepreneurs to access the mall's premium high-footfall audience without long-term lease commitments. Combines physical storefronts with an integrated digital and marketing platform for brand activation.
• Waterfall City Park Outdoor Event Venue

Quantifiable outcome

• Eight consecutive years winning the Coolest Mall title at Sunday Times Generation Next Awards, based on survey of 12,000 young South Africans aged 8-24
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• admytcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026admyt is a digital parking platform partnership enabling ticketless parking at Mall of Africa. Users download the app, sign up with promo code MOA for free parking, add license plate and payment details, then drive in and out with automatic payment via license plate recognition (LPR). The partnership eliminates tickets, queues, and pay stations for seamless parking experience.
• Beauty Squad InfluencersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Mall of Africa Beauty Squad featuring influencers including Thameenah Saint, Dr. Karishma Ramdev, Lungile Thabethe, and Nabeela Jamal (Belle Artistry) with combined social media reach of over 750,000 followers. Squad members create content to help shoppers navigate beauty landscape.
• GautraincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated Gautrain access point at entrances 8 and 9 underneath Dis-Chem. Bus service runs from Midrand station direct to the mall during weekdays and weekends. Gautrain gold card provides access to the service.
• UberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated Uber pick-up and drop-off location at Entrance 6 (Banking entrance) and additional access point at entrances 8 and 9 underneath Dis-Chem for ultimate transport convenience.
• Waterfall CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMall of Africa is part of the broader Waterfall City precinct which employs 24-hour CCTV cameras and comprehensive security personnel and vehicles. The precinct includes hotels, residential, and business developments creating an integrated ecosystem.
• Fidelity SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site security service provider located at Entrance 16, Parkade C, Floor 4. Fidelity Security provides 24-hour tactical team of guards and vehicles on standby.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eastgate Shopping Centre: Eastgate is a large Johannesburg-based regional mall in close proximity to Mall of Africa, competing for similar middle-to-upper-market shoppers with comparable retail, dining, and entertainment mix.
• Sandton City: Sandton City is Johannesburg's premier upscale shopping centre in the Sandton CBD, directly comparable to Mall of Africa as a large-format, multi-category regional mall anchored by luxury and premium fashion brands and offering similar entertainment/dining mix in the same Gauteng catchment.
• Hyde Park Corner: Hyde Park Corner is a Johannesburg luxury-oriented shopping centre that overlaps with Mall of Africa's premium fashion positioning (Hugo Boss, Michael Kors, Coach, Kate Spade) in the same Gauteng catchment.
• Rosebank Mall: Rosebank Mall is a major Johannesburg-based shopping centre within Gauteng, competing with Mall of Africa for the same upper-middle-class and luxury shoppers with a similar mix of fashion, dining, and entertainment tenants including Ster-Kinekor.

Regional players

• V&A Waterfront: V&A Waterfront is a Cape Town mixed-use lifestyle and retail destination combining shopping with hospitality, events, and tourism — comparable to Mall of Africa's integrated precinct strategy around Waterfall City.
• Canal Walk Shopping Centre: Canal Walk in Cape Town is a Cape Town-based super-regional mall comparable in scale, tenant mix, and entertainment offerings to Mall of Africa, although serving a Western Cape rather than Gauteng shopper.
• Menlyn Park Shopping Centre: Menlyn Park in Pretoria is one of the largest malls in South Africa and a regional competitor within Gauteng, sharing Mall of Africa's large-format department-store-anchored model and overlapping luxury tenant base.
• Gateway Theatre of Shopping: Gateway in Durban is a regional super-regional mall comparable in scale to Mall of Africa, with similar entertainment, dining, and retail mix, serving a different geography but a comparable shopper demographic.

Others

• Attacq Limited: Attacq is the JSE-listed REIT that owns/manages Mall of Africa as part of its Waterfall City portfolio; directly comparable as the parent vehicle and a publicly traded peer in the same SA retail-property real-estate category.

Broad incumbents

• Westfield (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield): URW/Westfield is a global super-regional shopping-centre incumbent; Mall of Africa competes with the South African Westfield assets and shares the premium, multi-tenant, entertainment-anchored mall model at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheMallOfAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMallofAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mall-of-africa

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mall of Africa