Property

New shopping mall coming to Cape Town

Kirsten Minnaar • 21 October 2025

A new shopping centre development, Saxdowne Shopping Centre, is currently being built at the high-traffic intersection of Stellenbosch Arterial and Saxdowne Roads in Cape Town.

Saxdowne Shopping Centre is a 6,000 m² retail centre that will be anchored by Shoprite and Clicks. The centre is designed for easy navigation, high accessibility, and a seamless daily shopping experience.

The developer, Abland, explained that Saxdowne’s architectural style will embrace the raw and rustic beauty of Cape Town’s landscape.

“Our retail space is a tribute to Cape Town’s rugged charm, where exposed brick and industrial accents come together in harmony,” Abland said.

“Every detail is thoughtfully crafted to evoke a sense of nostalgia and warmth, inviting shoppers to explore and discover.”

Located at the high-traffic intersection of Stellenbosch Arterial and Saxdowne Roads, the shopping centre is centrally located. Nearby suburbs include Jagtershof, Silver Oaks and St Dumas.

The Saxdowne Shopping Centre is being built on a 1.8-hectare plot, and will offer 6,027 m² of gross lettable area.

On 16 October, Abland announced that they had officially broken ground on the new development. It is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2026.

“This continues our commitment to creating sustainable, high-quality developments that shape the future of South African communities,” Abland said.

The developer is behind several local retail centres and shopping malls, including Irene Link, Groot Phesantekraal View, and Merino Mall.

“We focus on every possible detail when it comes to retail developments, from identifying the best locations to developing sustainable concepts for any tenant mix,” it said.

“Our expertise and experience mean that all our clients form a partnership that ensures optimal ongoing trading.”

The group’s portfolio also includes residential, office, industrial and motor developments. Some notable projects include Canal Plaza, The Rubik and Penta Suzuki.

Retail developments take over the Western Cape

The Saxdowne Shopping Centre comes as part of a wave of new retail developments and expansions in the Western Cape.

For example, Somerset Mall recently launched the first phase of its R350 million expansion and revamp, which will add 26 new stores and 5,000 m² in retail space.

The owners of the V&A Waterfront, one of the country’s biggest and busiest precincts, are also planning a R20 billion expansion for the property’s adjacent Granger Bay precinct.

In December 2024, the property owners requested an increase in permissible development rights from the local council. The proposed 440,000 m² expansion would allocate two-thirds of the space to Granger Bay.

The historic Granger Bay precinct lies west of the V&A Waterfront. It includes the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, which would move about 200 meters from its current location to make way for the new developments.

In March 2025, the company also announced that Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Gucci are set to anchor a new luxury retail development in the V&A.

The V&A is set to triple the size of space available for rent to luxury retailers to almost 4,000 m² in a dedicated new wing.

In August 2025, Abland also opened the doors of the highly anticipated Groot Phesantekraal View, a 30,000 m² retail centre located in Durbanville.

The centre features a range of popular retailers as prominent tenants, including Woolworths, Checkers, SuperSpar, Dis-Chem, Clicks, Mr Price, Ackermans and Pick n Pay Clothing.

In addition to its impressive retail offering, Groot Phesantekraal View also hosts a variety of restaurants and entertainment offerings such as KFC, McDonald’s and Wimpy.

One of the unique features of Groot Phesantekraal View is the inclusion of a state-of-the-art 200-metre underground shooting range by Dave Sheer Guns.

These retail developments and expansions are a reflection of the Western Cape’s booming property market, with semigration and an influx of foreigners driving residential demand.

This high demand has also caused property prices to surge. According to Stats SA, Cape Town’s property prices have climbed 160% since 2010.

While semigration is driving some of this boom, foreigners and digital nomads are also flocking to the city. Lightstone reported that foreign buyers accounted for about 40% of all purchases in transactions exceeding R10 million in 2024.

These buyers also accounted for about 15% of property transactions between R3 million and R5 million, a proportion that keeps growing.