Retail

Inside the outdoor shopping centre in South Africa’s richest city built around nine historic properties

Kirsten Minnaar • 16 July 2026

A new open-air lifestyle precinct in Johannesburg, Nine Yards, has transformed nine historic properties into a walkable green town square with more than 30 boutique shops, restaurants, and offices.

Located on the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Chester Road in Parktown North, a few minutes from Rosebank, Nine Yards is a walkable, open-air precinct.

The development officially opened in 2026 after a phased launch that began in December 2025. It has quickly become one of Johannesburg’s newest lifestyle destinations.

Unlike a conventional shopping centre, Nine Yards was created by joining nine neighbouring properties into a single precinct.

Existing buildings were restored and repurposed rather than demolished, with gardens and walkways becoming the central focus of the development.

Nine Yards explained that the precinct was designed as “Joburg’s new green town square” where people can gather, work, shop, and relax.

Today, it is home to more than 30 carefully curated tenants. Instead of filling the development with chain stores, the owners focused on businesses that offer unique products and experiences.

That includes artisan food outlets, boutique fashion stores, contemporary art galleries, and specialist homeware retailers.

There are several food options, including Salvation Café, Ole Ole, Platō Coffee, and Doppio Bistrot. Visitors can also browse artisan furniture, jewellery, and gardening stores.

The development also offers boutique fitness studios, tattoo and hair salons, art galleries, and fresh-produce retailers.

One of the centrepieces remains The GardenShop, which has operated on the site for decades and inspired the wider development.

The office component is equally important. Businesses occupy workspaces connected to Lumley House and Rosebank Office Park.

The connecting office park offers additional parking for shoppers, as Nine Yards draws substantial foot and vehicular traffic on weekends.

The idea behind Nine Yards

The idea for Nine Yards emerged about two years before its opening when owners Marc Lubner, Arnold Forman, Timothy Sammons, and Mike Hunt began discussing how to create a different type of urban space.

Rather than building another retail centre, they wanted to create a neighbourhood destination centred on community and outdoor living.

Speaking to SA Homeowner, Cadastral Capital CEO Timothy Sammons explained that the project was based on a simple concept.

“Nine Yards is built around a simple but powerful idea – Johannesburg deserves places that feel human, hopeful and full of possibility,” Sammons said.

“The response so far has shown how much people value thoughtful spaces where they can gather, connect and enjoy the city differently.”

Lubner said the project also holds personal significance because the property has been part of his family’s portfolio for decades.

“This precinct carries deep personal meaning for me,” he said. “We have always believed in creating places that add lasting value to the city and uplift the communities around them.”

Lubner also recently told the SA Jewish Report that, in designing Nine Yards, they wanted to build “the Johannesburg we all aspire to”.

“Joburgers have this spirit that we want to integrate, we want to be social, we want to be outdoors. And we have the best weather in the country for that. But there wasn’t a safe space for it.”

Security played an important role in the design. According to Lubner, the precinct was designed to be safe not only from crime but also for children to move around freely.

A central walkway features nine different-coloured pathways to help visitors navigate between sections of the development.

The gardens are another defining feature. Award-winning landscape architect Patrick Watson designed a 450-metre promenade inspired by Johannesburg’s famous gardens.

Meanwhile, architect Matthew Miller focused on connecting buildings through landscaped public spaces rather than creating a single dominant structure.

Instead of prioritising buildings, the designers made the open spaces between them the heart of the precinct. As the trees and landscaping mature, Nine Yards is expected to become even greener.