"Thought Canal Was Bigger": Cool Story Bru Reacts to Ranking of the 8 Biggest Shopping Malls in SA

• Cool Story Bru shared a countdown of South Africa's 8 biggest shopping malls, and the results caught many viewers off guard
• Fourways Mall in Joburg took the top spot as the largest by square metres, beating out well-known giants like Canal Walk and Gateway
• South Africans in the comments had a lot to say about which malls deserved a place on the list

A South African content creator known as Cool Story Bru posted a video on 31 August 2026 sharing a ranking of the eight biggest shopping malls in the country by size. The results left many viewers surprised, with several popular malls placing lower than expected.

The countdown started at number eight with Mall of Africa in Johannesburg, covering 131,000 square metres and home to 300 stores. Centurion Mall came in seventh at 133,000 square metres with around 230 stores, followed by Eastgate Shopping Centre in Johannesburg at sixth, with 142,000 square metres and 300 stores.

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Canal Walk in Cape Town ranked fifth at 147,800 square metres with over 400 stores, while Sandton City placed fourth at 147,900 square metres and 365 stores. Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Umhlanga took third place, spanning 176,000 square metres with 380 stores.

Menlyn and Fourways top the list

Menlyn Mall in Pretoria came in second with 177,000 square metres and a remarkable 500 stores, making it the mall with the most stores in South Africa. However, by square metres alone, the title of the country's biggest mall belongs to Fourways Mall, which stretches across 178,000 square metres and contains around 350 stores.

View the Facebook video below:

South Africans react to the mall rankings

The video sparked plenty of conversation in the comments on the page, with viewers sharing their own takes on the list:

Ingrid Frommolt wrote:

"And they usually have the same stores...."

Thandi Aranes joked:

"If you've seen one shop then you've seen the mall lol"

Lindiwe Lee Makhaye shared:

"Always thought Canal was bigger than Gateway 🙆🏽‍♀️"

David White added some perspective:

"In Beijing, the biggest mall is about 700,000 m² 😉"

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Kgampie Pro raised a valid question:

"But shouldn't the biggest be judged based on the number of stores? Just asking"

Derick Bayard replied:

"Would love to know what the biggest factory in South Africa is. Or which company provides the most jobs in South Africa."

More Briefly News stories on malls

• A R200 million Ntuzuma Mall is being built in Durban, with the 18,000-square-metre centre set to open in 2027 and South Africans debating whether more malls or factories are needed.
• A new Ekurhuleni mall opening in Etwatwa brought emotional celebrations as workers marked their new jobs with song and pride.
• Orlando Pirates fans flocked to Mall of Africa to get their new kit, with the huge crowd reminding Mzansi of the long queues seen during the 1994 elections.

Source: Briefly News