Property

The company expanding across South African shopping malls where kids can climb walls, dodge balls, and swing from bars

Bianke Neethling • 16 August 2026

Total Ninja, the largest inflatable and obstacle course in Africa, is rapidly expanding across South African malls.

Starting with one shopping centre in 2022, the group has since grown to seven locations across the country, with an eighth set to open at the end of August 2026.

Total Ninja’s growth comes as South Africans’ mall-shopping choices continue to expand, and it is becoming increasingly important to stand out amid heightened competition.

Total Ninja is a supervised activity and fitness venue inspired by the Ninja Warrior TV series. Its website states that it is the largest inflatable and obstacle course in Africa.

The company’s locations feature obstacle courses where visitors can climb, balance, jump, and swing using the variety of facilities available.

This includes soft play for younger children, an inflatable park, a battle ball sports pitch, a warrior obstacle course, a warped wall, and a strike arena.

Total Ninja opened its first location in Black River Park, an office precinct in Observatory, Cape Town, in 2022 and rapidly expanded from there.

In December 2022, it opened its second location at the Stoneridge shopping centre in Edenvale, Johannesburg, marking its expansion into Gauteng.

Since then, Total Ninja has grown to have seven locations across the country, including two in Durban.

Most of its locations are located in malls and shopping centres, such as the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in Durban, Centurion Mall, and Northgate Mall in Johannesburg.

Its eighth location is set to open on 28 August 2026 at the Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West, Cape Town.

The company has also been partnered with Discovery Vitality since May 2024, with members able to earn points when they visit a Total Ninja location.

While Total Ninja’s offering is mainly aimed at children, it encourages visitors of all ages to partake in its activities.

The company has also positioned itself as an event location, where birthday parties, school outings, and team-building events can be hosted.

South Africa’s mall bonanza

South Africa has an inordinate amount of shopping centres, with data giant Lightstone Property tracking at least 1,650 malls across the country.

Despite the influx of malls over the past few years, Lightstone explained in May 2026 that South Africans are visiting shopping malls less than they did.

Shopping mall visitors are also staying for shorter periods, and their trips are becoming more deliberate. Lightstone attributed this largely to online shopping and lifestyle changes.

Lightstone tracked anonymised vehicle movement data in February 2026 and compared it to February 2023.

The company found that the median dwell time at malls fell by 4%, while the longest stays dropped by more than 11%.

It found that super-regional centres above 60,000 m² have been the hardest hit, with dwell time down 17% and average visits per tracked vehicle down 9%.

“South African shoppers have not lost their appetite for the mall experience but have become more deliberate about it,” Lightstone Retail managing director Mohit Narotam said.

This means shopping centres have had to rethink their offerings to attract more visitors and give them a reason to take the trip.

“Winning centres give shoppers multiple reasons to make a trip, whether that is value, a genuine community space, or an experience they cannot get from a screen,” Narotam explained.

Lightstone referred to research from global commercial real estate services and investment company CBRE, which found that experiential retail strategies can help drive retail sales.

“By transitioning into ‘lifestyle destinations’ rather than just spaces for transactions, well-managed malls could increase dwell times, foster brand loyalty, and directly boost tenant revenues,” the company said.

Experiential strategies can yield an average 40% increase in dwell time and a 30% increase in sales, driving footfall and omnichannel performance.

While traditional anchor tenants like grocery stores will continue to drive foot traffic to malls, experiential offerings are becoming increasingly important for attracting customers.

This is why offerings like those of Total Ninja, Bounce, The Fun Company, ice skating rinks, and bowling have become more prominent in malls across South Africa.

Some struggling malls in South Africa have turned to experiential offerings such as these to boost foot traffic, with some success.

One of the biggest examples of this is Fourways Mall, which has added Bounce, Total Ninja, an Urban Playground skate park, a padel court, and a Bloc 11 climbing gym over the past year.