ABOUT

The 28 600m² Merino Mall opened its doors to the public on 27 October 2022 to become the only shopping centre of its significant size within a 100km radius. The mall features 90 stores, 1,743 parking bays, an impressive fashion node, banking facilities, restaurants and a fun kids’ play area. Anchors include Checkers, Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Clicks, as well as the first Crazy Plastics and Dis-Chem in the area. 

Built on the historic Ermelo showgrounds, the mall pays tribute to the site’s heritage, a place that has always been central to community life in the area.  The original barn structures are a key design feature of the building, while local artwork adorning the walls ensure that the community is woven into its fibre.

While the architecture and design features pay tribute to the site’s history, it incorporates answers to today’s big environmental and social challenges.  Merino Mall has its own solar photovoltaic [PV] plant that produces green energy and the mall can trade during loadshedding. The property even has a sewer treatment plant that will recycle grey water back into the building to achieve water savings.  The mall also has a fast fibre Wi-Fi network, which shoppers can access.

All this combines to make a meaningful contribution to the Community, and manage Environmental, Social, and Governance [ESG] factors.  Investors are increasingly applying these non-financial factors as part of their analysis process to identify growth opportunities.