“Customers Aren’t Coming Back”: Joburg Gent’s List of 5 Dying Malls in Mzansi Sparks Debate

• A Johannesburg content creator shared a video listing five South African malls with high vacancy rates
• The clip claims The Villa in Pretoria takes first place as the biggest ghost mall, sitting abandoned
• South Africans debated the accuracy of the list, with some saying the malls are doing better than the video claimed

A content creator from Johannesburg has sparked a heated debate after sharing a video listing five South African malls that he claims are basically dying. The clip was posted on 22 November 2025 and has gone viral as people started questioning whether the information was accurate based on their own recent experiences at these shopping centres.

In the video, the content creator starts with number five, Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria, which he says is sitting with an 18% vacancy rate. He explained that vacancy shot up from 3.6% in 2019 to 18.7% in 2024, meaning nearly one in five stores are empty. Number four on his list was Fourways Mall at 20% vacancy. He pointed out that South Africa's largest mall saw vacancies jump from 3% in 2021 to 20% in 2024, despite spending R3 billion on renovations. The third spot went to Lancaster Shopping Centre in Randburg, where Pick'n Pay closed in March 2024, leaving the mall very empty except for one or two stores as owners explore redevelopment options.

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Number two on the list was Pretoria China Shopping Mall, where he claimed only one store remained open, the underground parking is flooded, and security guards are the only ones window shopping at the 83 empty spaces.

Taking first place as the biggest ghost mall in South Africa is The Villa in Pretoria. The content creator explained that this R3.5 billion project attracted R1.5 billion in investor funding for 300 stores but now sits abandoned in overgrown foliage. The video went viral, causing a stir as many people debated whether the claims were true based on their latest experiences visiting these malls.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

Mzansi questions the accuracy

Social media users shared their thoughts on Facebook user @jandredebeer88's clip, stating:

@glen_lester wrote:

"Fourways looked pretty occupied when I was there yesterday morning, more open shops than closed ones."

@rentsia_bekker questioned:

"Brooklyn? They sure...?"

@thelol_snr added:

"Should've said 5 Gauteng malls, not South Africa 😒"

@zanele_mvelase commented:

"I think online shopping has an influence as well. It's been a year since I haven't been to the mall. I buy everything online."

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@johannes_mapholoba_letsoalo gushed:

"Can be converted into higher learning centres. More especially, colleges or be converted into office space."

@steven_andre_steyn said:

"Online shopping seems to be the future... No traffic, no unnecessary parking fees."

@ryan_quirk wrote:

"Their rental is unsustainable for small to medium businesses. In the online shopping era, they're pricing themselves out of business…"

3 More malls and properties in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on McCormick Property Development planning to build a R1.65 billion shopping mall in Harare.
• The City of Tshwane disconnected electricity at Thami Ndlala Mall and Hotel Apartments after the property was found to have been illegally reconnected despite owing over R600,000 in unpaid bills.
• An American traveller's shopping trip in Cape Town showed how Americans think about Africa and South Africa.

Source: Briefly News