Retail

Major South African shopping mall gets a makeover

Kirsten Minnaar • 19 November 2025

The President Square Vaal Shopping Centre in Vanderbijlpark has reopened after a major redevelopment, unveiling a larger, modernised mall with 32 new stores and upgraded facilities.

The shopping centre, which is owned by Vaal Square under the Bentel Group, officially reopened on 30 October 2025.

“This relaunch marks an important milestone for the centre as we continue to grow with our community, creating a vibrant shopping experience that brings people together,” said the Bentel Group’s Selwyn Bentel.

“Anchored by President Hyper, which measures approximately 13,800 m², the centre now features 32 new stores.”

These include fashion, banks, food, health & beauty services, home furnishings and appliances, as well as value industrial and outdoor retailers.

“Our unique anchor tenant and a range of exclusive new brands truly set us apart in the area. In addition, there is free Wi-Fi to keep visitors connected while they shop or dine,” Bentel added.

The banking lineup includes a Standard Bank Branch, FNB Branch & Old Mutual. It alsohas a range of new fashion retailers joining its existing offering.

New brands include Adidas, Superga & Kappa, IBO & Converse, Fashion Fusion, Foschini, Exact, Power Fashion, Legit, Soviet, Clothing Junction, Senqu and Rage.

Bentel said they are particularly excited about their value industrial and outdoor stores, which include Gelmar, Outdoor Warehouse, Jonssons Workwear and ACDC Express.

Rounding out its retail offering, President Square Vaal also has a carefully curated mix of dining options, home furnishing and appliance stores.

The upgraded centre now measures in excess of 31,000 m², having added approximately 6800m² of new retail space. The project activated previously unused bulk and incorporated an additional erf for expansion.

President Hyper is a renowned high-performance trader, and the developers ensured that the construction program was accelerated to ensure minimal disruption to its trade.

Reconstruction and accesibility

Standard Bank financed the redevelopment of the centre, which was designed by No Logo Architects in collaboration with Bentel Group and constructed by the main contractor, NWJ.

Throughout the construction, local employment was prioritised, with the developer also assisting new tenants in recruiting from the surrounding community. The redevelopment and store openings together created about 800 new jobs.

Sustainability upgrades as part of the project include the installation of solar power. One of the highlights of the redevelopment was redesigning the entrance façades to create visual balance across the mall.

There is ample parking across both basement and ground levels, with four accesses from the parking, with two on grade and two from the lower level.

The taxi rank has been relocated closer to the store, improving convenience to the shops and particularly the hypermarket.

President Square Vaal is clustered together in a contained area accessible from a single-entry road, which includes Cashbuild, Car Service City and a Makro which is approximately 16,500 m².

A future development phase on adjacent land will round off the offering, and ensure that all bases are covered.

The mall is positioned between Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark on Playfair Boulevard in Powerville, and enjoys high visibility along the R42 (Barrage Road). It is very well situated between two interchanges, less than 1.2 km apart.

The second freeway interchange, the Ascot Interchange, opened in September and will also serve as the main route to the upcoming Vaal River City, a 1,200-hectare mixed-use mega city development.

The extended and upgraded centre will serve an expanded customer base, with the primary market located within a 10 to 15 minute drive, accounting for 60% to 70% of visitors.

Additional shoppers come from surrounding areas, including Sasolburg, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, including Sharpeville, Sebokeng and Evaton.

“Our customers are value-driven with many willing to travel significant distances for quality and bulk value shopping,” Bentel added.