Despite the harsh economic and social climate, the longer-term trend in trading densities (sales per square metre) in more than 100 shopping centres in South Africa and Namibia shows a clear improvement since the 2020/21 Covid-induced downturn in performance. 

Creativity is on the march across the retail landscape as sector players get to grips with shifting consumer values and influences in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shifting local and international approaches to lifestyle, health, wellness, environment, work and community living are increasingly dictating the need for Southern African shopping centres to adopt an integrated holistic and fluid strategy to drive performance. 

Growth in trading density (sales per square metre) in 2018 at monitored shopping centres in South Africa and Namibia continued to improve after a lacklustre 2017, according to a retail property barometer.

Sales per square metre in shopping centres - from large super regional malls to neighbourhood 'locals' - continued to grow in March, according to the Clur Report of SA Retail Property, an industry barometer tracking performance at more than two million square metres of retail space in South Africa and Namibia.

The uptick in shopping centre sales out of negative territory is continuing, according to the Clur Report of SA Retail Property Performance for January, an industry barometer.

After months of decline, trading densities across 2.2 million m² of physical retail space in seven provinces of South Africa and in Namibia are trending towards growth, according to an industry barometer.

Welcome to the age of the chameleon shopping centre. It’s one of the themes in the current retail environment, according to indicators emerging from research covering the assets of top South African property funds.