iTonka Square entrance. Image supplied
The centre, formerly known as Tonk Meter Crossing, officially opened on Heritage Day, 24 September 2026, following just over eight months of redevelopment.
The project represents a full-circle moment for Exemplar REITail, which acquired a 50% stake in the centre in September 2025. The remaining 50% is owned by Landmark Property Investment, the original developer of the centre, which opened in November 2019.
The refreshed centre now serves the communities of Itonka, Springs, KwaThema and surrounding areas, with the opening also incorporating a Heritage Day celebration that encouraged customers to attend in traditional attire.
From strip centre to double-anchored mall
The redevelopment has significantly changed the centre's retail proposition, converting the original strip-centre format into a fully enclosed, double-anchored mall.
The expanded tenant mix includes Boxer and Boxer Liquor, alongside national fashion and lifestyle retailers including Sportscene, Studio 88 and Foschini Group brands.
Clicks, Steers and Debonairs have also joined the centre, broadening its offer across health and beauty, fashion, food and everyday shopping.
Full-service banking from Capitec, FNB and Standard Bank further strengthens the convenience proposition, with Absa also set to open at the centre.
The expanded offer is designed to give local consumers access to a wider range of national retailers and services without having to travel further afield.
iTonka Square aerial. Image supplied
Retail becomes a community gathering space
Beyond the tenant mix, iTonka Square's redevelopment has placed greater emphasis on creating spaces for community interaction.
A new amphitheatre in the food court is a first for the area. Surrounded by Pedros, Hungry Lion and Romans, the space incorporates a play area and is designed to accommodate local performances and family gatherings.
The development is intended to position the mall as more than a transactional retail environment, providing a space where customers can eat, socialise and participate in community activities.
For community-focused retail centres, these shared spaces can also create additional reasons for consumers to visit beyond shopping, strengthening the role of the mall as a local social hub.
Local businesses form part of the development story
The redevelopment also created an economic opportunity during construction.
An estimated 550 employment opportunities were created during the project, with 369 positions — or 67% — awarded to local candidates.
Seventeen local SMMEs were involved in areas including security, plant hire, brickwork, plastering, scaffolding, painting, landscaping and paving.
The participation of local businesses formed part of Exemplar's stated focus on local-first skills development and economic upliftment.
The next phase of the centre's impact will come through its expanded tenant base, with additional retail employment opportunities now available to members of the surrounding communities.
Part of a broader retail rollout
iTonka Square is the second of four centres Exemplar plans to open before the end of 2026.
According to Exemplar CEO Jason McCormick, the group's teams are expected to have opened more than 80,000sqm of retail space by the end of October.
“This is the second of four centres opening before year end,” says McCormick. “By the end of October 2026, our teams will have opened more than 80,000sqm of retail and we are already ramping up for the opening of Ntuzuma Mall and KwaMashu in Q1 2027.”
The next openings are Leratong City in Kagiso, Gauteng, scheduled for 29 October, followed by Moletsi Mall in Limpopo on 30 October.
The pipeline highlights the continued role of community and convenience-focused retail developments in expanding formal retail infrastructure into underserved or growing markets.
Looking beyond the opening
For Exemplar, the significance of iTonka Square extends beyond the physical redevelopment.
The combination of an expanded tenant mix, community amenities, local employment and SMME participation forms part of a broader proposition around creating retail destinations that generate economic activity in the communities they serve.
“These are centres that will create extensive retail variety and employment opportunities for our communities,” says McCormick.
Exemplar is due to release its half-year results on 2 November, providing an opportunity for the group to report on the performance and contribution of its growing retail portfolio.
For iTonka Square, the immediate focus is on establishing the newly expanded centre as a shopping and gathering destination for Itonka, Springs, KwaThema and surrounding communities.
