New R1 billion luxury mall in South Africa to rival Sandton and V&A – and is getting even bigger in 2023

The new Oceans Mall in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, has increased Broll Property Group’s total space under management to 8.8 million square metres and boosted its assets under management to R117 billion.

The commercial property services company has been involved in the 36,000 sqm retail component of the R4.3 billion mixed-use project when it was appointed as exclusive leasing agent for the development in 2014.

The project is made up of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Oceans Mall and Oceans Apartments. While the hotel and retail components are complete, the apartments are expected to be complete in the next few years.

The retail leasing team played an instrumental role in ensuring Oceans Mall was 97% let at opening, it said. The first phase of the mall opened its doors on 15 November, with the next phase – which includes the Platinum Walk luxury retail – opening in 2023.

Notably, the mall has two large, state-of-the-art anchor tenants, Woolworths and Checkers Fresh X, as well as an additional 120 tenants made up of a compelling mix of sought-after local and international brands.

Broll Property Group’s Head of Retail Leasing, Sandy van Staden, says the flagship Checkers Fresh X, which offers customers exclusive private label brands such as Forage & Feast, is a first for KwaZulu-Natal, as are many of the international fashion brands.

The Retail Leasing Team was tasked to create a Platinum Walk, which will be a first for KZN, offering the discerning customer a range of luxury brands to choose from.

The Platinum Walk will launch as phase two of the Development, opening its doors in March 2023. These iconic brands include Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Versace, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss and Emporio Armani, amongst others.”

“The team have also collaborated with proudly South African luxury brand Maxhosa SA, who will feature amongst the International brands in the Platinum Walk,” Broll said.

Several other unique eateries, such as BLACK, Perere, Signature, Brown Sugar and Coco Safar, which were carefully selected to form part of the tenant mix, will deliver an elevated dining experience for customers.

Van Staden said securing tenants for Oceans Mall was challenging at first, as the group was competing with other malls that were being upgraded or expanded.

“We also had to overcome resistance from tenants as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was understandable. The vision was clear, and with the full support of the co-owners Vivian Reddy, Rob Alexander and the PIC, our task became easier, and we quickly signed up our first eight luxury fashion brands.”

Broll Property Group was appointed as managing agents of the mall over the next three years.

Van Staden said the tenants have stepped up in delivering on the vision of a luxury mall. “There is no other shop like Checkers Fresh X in the province. The tenants have really invested and delivered exceptional stores.”

The aspirational mall will boost the local economy through the provision of 6,000 jobs during the construction phase and 2,500 permanent jobs post-construction, while its luxury-focused tenant mix is expected to be a strong drawcard for tourists.

Van Staden said the aim of Oceans Mall is not only to service its primary and secondary catchment areas but to encourage tourism in the greater province.

“We conducted in-depth studies to ensure the viability of the tenant mix and found that a very high percentage of international brand shoppers are Durban-based. Now they don’t have to travel to Johannesburg or Cape Town to find the brands they are looking for. They can get them at Oceans Mall.

Broll said that Oceans Mall presents an excellent opportunity for growth and experience in the property management sector in South Africa.

“Only Sandton and V&A boast a similar tenant mix. The expectations of international brands are exceptionally high. We need to ensure we remain a step ahead of market trends, that our service levels are exceptional and that we constantly elevate our game.”

Read: A look inside the R1 billion luxury shopping mall that just opened in South Africa

New R1 billion luxury mall in South Africa to rival Sandton and V&A – and is getting even bigger in 2023