South African developer Japie van Niekerk buys Kalahari Mall in Northern Cape deal

South African developer Japie van Niekerk has acquired Kalahari Mall in Upington, completing what New Africa Developments describes as one of the biggest shopping center transactions ever concluded in South Africa’s Northern Cape. The deal marks New Africa Developments’ entry into the province and adds a dominant regional retail asset to its portfolio.

The acquisition received unconditional approval from South Africa’s Competition Tribunal in June and has now been completed. New Africa Developments and the seller have not disclosed the purchase price or other financial terms. The Pretoria-headquartered developer plans to invest substantially in the center during the next year.

A regional retail bet

Kalahari Mall is located in Upington on the banks of the Orange River and serves the town, surrounding communities and neighboring cross-border markets. The regional economy is supported by agriculture, logistics, renewable energy, tourism and cross-border trade, while mining is an important economic driver in the surrounding region.

Robin Houghton, managing director at New Africa Developments, said the mall stood out for its trading performance, national tenant mix, established customer base and position in the regional market. The company said its due diligence also reinforced confidence in the quality of the tenant relationships and the centre’s customer base.

Van Niekerk’s rural strategy

Van Niekerk has built New Africa Developments around retail property in underserved markets, where limited competition can give well-positioned shopping centres a strong position within their trade areas. The company’s portfolio includes regional centres such as Dwarsloop Mall and Acornhoek Mall in Mpumalanga.

New Africa Developments committed more than 1 billion rand to commercial infrastructure in Bushbuckridge, opening Dwarsloop Mall in 2017 and Acornhoek Mall in 2018. Acornhoek’s development followed a court battle lasting more than three years involving Acornhoek Plaza Share Block, whose shareholders included Sanlam and the McCormick family. NAD ultimately won the case with costs.

Mall set for major upgrades

New Africa Developments plans an extensive refurbishment and renovation of Kalahari Mall, the reconfiguration of several tenant premises and a potential expansion of its gross lettable area. The company said the investment will build on the mall’s existing market position while responding to changing retailer and customer needs.

Van Niekerk described the strategy as active ownership rather than passive property management. He said the company intends to build on what already works at Kalahari Mall, supporting retailers, responding to customer needs and maintaining the center’s connection with the community.

Kalahari Mall opened in September 2013 and is described by its own leasing material as Upington’s only regional shopping center. Its 2025 leasing brochure lists about 65 tenants and 32,938 square meters of gross lettable area, with Checkers, SuperSpar, Game and Woolworths among its anchor tenants.