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!
@@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.
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.
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!😥
@@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
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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....
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.
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 UA-cam videos once it’s abandoned. Shareholders got their money long ago.
@@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.
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.
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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????
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Please checkout Foresthill mall in Centurion, shops close everyday, and It has a Ice skating ring and a wave pool, but when woolies and capitec closed, I knew it was done. Its sad.
I never liked Forest Hill - I only went there for the kids's ice skating. I always disliked the place. There is no atmosphere; it's one, long dystopian strip with all artificial light, shops to the left and to the right. Nothing to give you a feeling of spacial awareness. Shopping there (forced to do so while kids are using the ice rink) feels like you're visting a space station or post apocolyptic underground city.
Forest Hill always had a weird vibe from the outset. Expensive paid parking immediately put off initial visitors (it's free now) and then having to walk miles to access the bathroom. With the exception of the food court and ice-rink, almost every store was either clothing, shoes or a nail salon.
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.
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
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
Menlyn mall is also a nightmare, i never go there, too much getting lost and finding parking. No one has the bucks anymore we just shop for what we need and not browsing anymore
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.
Its really sad whats going on there, they need maybe more high end tenants. They dont even have Zara there, where is the high end shops like Armani Exchange, Gucci and the likes so that the more affluent customer doesnt have to go to Sandton City or MoA. Also they close really early.
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.
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 👌🏽
I remember visiting the mall around 2003ish and it wasn't inviting at all, the layout wasn't consumer friendly. The layout got even worse with the upgrades in 2019
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.
Apparently Four Ways Mall closes 7pm. That's unacceptable for such a big mall. Canal Walk, which is the biggest shopping center in Caoe Town closes at 9pm and for that very reason, its my go to mall.
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
I wonder if Fourways mall being surrounded by so many great malls is apart of the issue. You have Sandton City Mall, Mall of Africa and North Gate all surrounding it... and than on top of that Fourways mall is also across the street from Monte Casino...
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.
They want to improve the convenience? How? Convenient malls are those where you can park your car in front of the shop, where you want to buy something. Everything else is headache.
Off topic, but it's great to see SA UA-cam 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 .
🕳☄️
🚽
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.
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!
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
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 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.
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.
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 😂😂
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
The taxis around the mall blocking access and causing traffic jams are a nightmare for me. I go to Fourways Crossing instead
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
@@ScissorN😢
Factories
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....
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
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 UA-cam 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.
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.
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
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.
Rent is expensive in these Malls.
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.
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.
Your quality is something else I even subbed. Keep it up.
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
Finally a channel worth watching informative ❤
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😂😂😂
Love this type of content. Keep up the great work brother man 🙌🏽
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...
I hate malls!! There is absolutely no need for all of us to be at one place to do our shopping
Appreciate your content 🙏🏽
My pleasure! I enjoy making it.
Finally something informative from a SAn youtuber. Good one bru *subscribed*
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 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.😄
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.🧐
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.
💯
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.
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.
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.
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!
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????
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
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.
The Rentals for these malls are RIDICULOUS expensive
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
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.
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.
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.
Start businesses people, the country needs us
My wife's phone was stolen there, so no thank you
I'm not surprised. I've always avoided Fourways Mall like the plague. It's a nightmare to shop in.
Please checkout Foresthill mall in Centurion, shops close everyday, and It has a Ice skating ring and a wave pool, but when woolies and capitec closed, I knew it was done. Its sad.
You cannot have Woolies leaving your mall. It is chai after that
I never liked Forest Hill - I only went there for the kids's ice skating. I always disliked the place. There is no atmosphere; it's one, long dystopian strip with all artificial light, shops to the left and to the right. Nothing to give you a feeling of spacial awareness. Shopping there (forced to do so while kids are using the ice rink) feels like you're visting a space station or post apocolyptic underground city.
Forest hill still exists? 😳 I thought it would be done by now!
Woolies closed?!?!!😮 Hai guys kubi!!!
Forest Hill always had a weird vibe from the outset. Expensive paid parking immediately put off initial visitors (it's free now) and then having to walk miles to access the bathroom. With the exception of the food court and ice-rink, almost every store was either clothing, shoes or a nail salon.
Another informative banger🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤ Thank you, Zimasa💪🏼🎉💪🏼🎉
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. 🙏🏾
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🎉
Welll done. Enjoyed this contents
first time viewer
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
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
Lekker video, this is what we want to see from our local UA-camrs! Keep the videos coming👊
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.
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!
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.
Been to Mall Of Africa twice, Never Again!!!
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
Thank you algorithm, needed smart content. Subscribed.
Great content. Thank you!
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.
Just leaving this comment and my like because proudly South African!
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”.
We have too many malls in this country with many people unemployed. Those who have money shop in Dubai and Europe.
Malls suck. Why would anyone want to spend any time there?! Why do they still keep building them?!
Corporates need something to invest in😊
Agreed! They seem like a relic of the past. Turn them all into museums 😂
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.
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.
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.
Fabulous video! Thank you!
Menlyn mall is also a nightmare, i never go there, too much getting lost and finding parking. No one has the bucks anymore we just shop for what we need and not browsing anymore
Mall design is vital!!!
They did really well with the road. If you want to skip the traffic at Witkoppen x Cedar rd. seamless!
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.
its ugly. coming into the mall from basement parking, its ugly. it aint inviting.
Its really sad whats going on there, they need maybe more high end tenants. They dont even have Zara there, where is the high end shops like Armani Exchange, Gucci and the likes so that the more affluent customer doesnt have to go to Sandton City or MoA. Also they close really early.
Finally came across your UA-cam. This is great Journalism.
Very insightful,thank-you😢
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...
It’s the parking - No lighting No notifications of where the shops are. It’s dangerous trying to get in and out
Great video sir. You earned a subscriber.
Thanks 🙏🏾
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
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.
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 👌🏽
Great video and very informative 💯
One of my main takeaways is YOU JUST DON'T KNOW. LOL
I remember visiting the mall around 2003ish and it wasn't inviting at all, the layout wasn't consumer friendly. The layout got even worse with the upgrades in 2019
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.
Apparently Four Ways Mall closes 7pm. That's unacceptable for such a big mall. Canal Walk, which is the biggest shopping center in Caoe Town closes at 9pm and for that very reason, its my go to mall.
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
I wonder if Fourways mall being surrounded by so many great malls is apart of the issue. You have Sandton City Mall, Mall of Africa and North Gate all surrounding it... and than on top of that Fourways mall is also across the street from Monte Casino...
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.
They want to improve the convenience? How? Convenient malls are those where you can park your car in front of the shop, where you want to buy something. Everything else is headache.
Ya... Costs are going up but salaries are staying the same of course we aren't going shopping nje. This shouldn't be a surprise.
Used to love the old Fourways Mall. Would pop in regularly. Been there twice since expansion and it’s my local mall.