Property

The shopping mall in one of South Africa’s richest areas which is completely empty apart from a car wash

Shaun Jacobs • 28 June 2026

Sandhurst Centre on Rivonia Road in one of South Africa’s richest areas is sitting empty apart from the iconic Peter’s Car Wash in the parking lot.

The centre’s final blow appears to have been dealt when Johannesburg’s oldest Burger King, located in the centre, shut down in June 2026.

This Burger King was one of three opened in Gauteng on 1 February 2014, with the others being located at Park Station in the Johannesburg CBD and in Centurion.

These stores came one year after the American giant officially launched in South Africa in May 2013, as a joint venture between JSE-listed Grande Parade Investments and Restaurant Brands International.

The chain initially experienced strong growth, rolling out over a hundred outlets across South Africa in the decade after launch.

Grand Parade also operated its own meat-processing facility in the Western Cape to meet Burger King’s quality standards and to vertically integrate the business.

The Burger King in Sandhurst Centre was extremely busy at launch, with queues lining up around the block to get a taste of the Whopper and free refills of Pepsi.

Located close to the three suburbs of Sandton Central, Sandhurst, and Illovo, the shopping mall had a highly lucrative catchment area.

These are three of the wealthiest suburbs in South Africa, with Sandton Central home to the headquarters of many JSE-listed giants.

Sandhurst Centre is located along Rivonia Road, less than a kilometre away from the Discovery head office and the richest square mile in Africa.

Around the corner is the prestigious private school St David’s Marist Inanda and the five-star Summer Place banqueting venue.

The mall appeared perfectly positioned to capture traffic flowing in and out of Sandton Central while tapping into the lucrative suburbs surrounding it.

Burger King was initially joined by Pizza Hut and a UFC gym. The mall also had upstairs office space occupied by tailors.

The first sign of trouble at the centre is that not much else managed to survive besides the Burger King, with a series of food trucks trying their luck.

These all closed down relatively quickly, and nothing took their places. Following soon after, the beauty salon and a mobile spa closed their doors.

The Pizza Hut was next on the list, with it struggling to survive around the corner from the Burger King and shutting down before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Burger King survived the pandemic and kept going until recently. However, the popularity it enjoyed during its launch was not replicated.

The centre also suffered from a lack of investment, largely retaining the same look and feel as a decade ago. The red of the Burger King is now a faded pink.

As the shopping centre emptied, Peter’s Car Wash popped up in the parking lot and gradually became the main drawcard for the mall.

Peter’s Car Wash remains relatively busy in the front parking lot of the centre, while the secondary lot towards the back is empty.

Burger King began struggling in South Africa in the aftermath of the pandemic, effectively outcompeted by established fast-food giants and local alternatives.

In November 2021, Burger King South Africa was acquired by private equity firm Emerging Capital Partners.

The private equity firm has invested heavily in rolling out new stores and upgrading its network. However, it appears that the Sandhurst Centre branch is not among these.

Daily Investor visited the mall in June, and saw the Burger King signs removed, paint faded, and workers dismantling a verandah.