South Africa, Oct. 24 -- Despite global headlines predicting the end of brick-and-mortar retail, our country's mall culture has proven otherwise.

In fact, statistics tell us that retail trade sales rose by 3.7% in Q2 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. While this is great news for landlords and retailers alike, there is a noticeable shift in what's driving that resilience.

Malls are no longer relying solely on legacy anchors or traditional retail formats to stay relevant.

Today, the malls that are thriving are those that have embraced a new kind of anchor tenant; brands that offer affordability, convenience, and broad appeal across diverse income groups. And increasingly, these tenants are not the traditional department stores or...