Mall of Africa expands focus on entertainment and events

The Mall of Africa, one of Africa’s largest malls, is striving to be at the forefront of staying relevant, driving growth and boosting efficiency by reinventing itself as an entertainment centre – offering add-on activities and putting on special events to attract shoppers. The mall is set on no longer being primarily about shopping but also becoming a key venue for hosting events.

Antiques, art, fashion and music

In July the National Antiques & Decorative Arts Faire (NAADA Faire) held its showcase of antiques, art, collectables and decorative arts in the Crystal Court of the mall, bringing the art of collecting – whether an 18th Century armoire, collectable 1950’s advertising billboards or Steam Punk Victorian-meets-Game-of-Thrones fashion – to the public.

In August, one of South Africa’s premier fashion events, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, chose the Mall of Africa amphitheatre as the new official venue for the August Spring/Summer collections. And at the end of last month, the mall showcased the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra's ‘Music inspired by Disney’ performance in what Mall of Africa says was the first of many music performances to be held at its Waterfall Park concert arena.

In line with Mall of Africa's commitment to showcasing and promoting local arts and culture, an Art Collective, featuring a range of South African artworks and sculptures, will be showcased on Level 5 from the 11th to the 29th October 2017. A range of talented up-and-coming artists will be given a platform to showcase their talents and some of the artists will be on hand to demonstrate their art.

Retail-tainment

"The Mall of Africa is leading the way in the international trend of ‘retail-tainment’ by adding entertainment and event experiences to the retail mix," says Mall of Africa's events manager Nicola Van Kan.

"The three events held so far were unprecedented successes attracting thousands of visitors who were happy to meet, shop and be entertained in a safe, multifunctional complex that delivered the ‘wow’ factor. Going forward we hope to continue being the chosen venue for some of Johannesburg’s most important cultural art and entertainment events.”