Co-owned by Growthpoint Properties and a Flanagan & Gerard Property Group company, the new retail mix and refreshed experience has cemented the Vaal Mall’s position as the preferred and dominant regional shopping destination in the greater Vaal area.

General Manager for Vaal Mall, Victor Hiemstra, says: “The 15,000sqm expansion has seen Vaal Mall grow to 65,000sqm and welcomes a new Ster Kinekor cinema complex alongside more stores, new eateries, three new levels of parking and the expansion of several big brand stores.”

Vaal Mall now has over 140 tenants, with new stores giving a stylish boost to its fashion line-up. This includes popular brands that recently opened at the mall, such as Cotton On, Factorie, Studio 88, Rage, Bogart Man, Legit and new fashion-find Refinery. For the kids, there’s now Soda Bloc.

The many sports and outdoors lovers in the region are now able to enjoy the apparel, equipment and accessories of Mr Price Sport and Due South.

Then, each adding their special difference for Vaal Mall customers, there is trendy Typo, feel-good and look-great Sorbet, all the flavour of Vide e Caffé and the boundless creativity of Crafters Market.

Plus, there is even more fashion, flair and fun to come as part of the compelling new Vaal Mall experience.

Adidas and Tekkie Town will be joining Vaal Mall on the next step in its journey. Swarovski, Crown Jewellers and Lovisa will add magnificent sparkle to the mall.  Also opening their doors soon are Relay Jeans, Hi, Prime Time, V-Cell Clinix, and Turn and Tender.

And, giving the Vaal community the experience that they have been asking for, Ster Kinekor will open at Vaal Mall on 16 June, the Youth Day public holiday.

“We are thrilled to introduce a seven-screen Ster Kinekor cinema complex, which will include a Ster Kinekor Prestige cinema,” says Hiemstra.

The scope of the mall’s upgrade and extension resulted in several stores relocating. Stores with proud new positions in the mall include Linen & Bath, Boardmans, @Home, Incredible Connection, Capitec Bank, Sportscene, and Spec Savers. John Dory’s Fish and Grill has also opened in its new home at Vaal Mall.

Giving shoppers more ranges and bigger selections, several leading national retail brands at Vaal Mall are taking the opportunity to serve their customers from larger stores.

Hiemstra says: “We are excited about the Woolworths expansion which will commence soon, and we believe this will add even more value to Vaal Mall’s overall shopping experience. Another exciting development was the opening of the new Truworths on 26 May. Vaal Mall is proud to have the biggest Truworths in Gauteng and the second largest in South Africa.”

While the improvements at Vaal Mall will enhance its shopping and entertainment, they are also good for the environment.

The project kept a strong focus on energy efficiency, with all light fittings in the Vaal Mall’s common areas replaced with LED lights. This, together with the new porcelain tiles installed, will enhance the natural light throughout the mall.

Plus, it is now easier to get to the mall. The expansion of Vaal Mall includes the construction of a taxi rank with the capacity to service five associations, adding to the convenience for the 1,800 to 2,000 commuters who visit the mall daily. The upgrade of parking space means that Vaal Mall will now also offer customers free undercover parking. The new parkade makes it easier for shoppers to enter the mall, because the upper parking deck now provides easy access to the food court, right at the heart of the Vaal Mall.

The improvements and new retail variety have already been enthusiastically welcomed by shoppers.

“We’ve experienced a definite increase in the foot traffic and our shoppers are using their wallets to show they enjoy the experience of our new retail and entertainment mix. With the development and refurbishment nearly complete, we are expecting an influx of new shoppers to Vaal Mall, but also greater support from our existing shoppers who have remained loyal throughout the past year,” Hiemstra says.

He adds that the expansion and upgrade of Vaal Mall is a massive investment in the local economy by its owners. And this isn’t the only way that Vaal Mall invests in its community.

“We believe in being actively involved in the community. For this reason, we introduced the Book Nation Project and call on all customers to donate their pre-loved books. We will distribute these books to schools, children’s homes and old age homes, all places where a need for books has been identified,” says Hiemstra.