Former visitor turned leasing executive Bevan Greybe remembers when Reggies, a toy shop, was still downstairs at The View and the fast-food brand Juicy Lucy near Checkers Hyper was one of his regular stops at Fourways Mall. He even remembers racing cars at the mall when he was still a little boy.

Following a massive redevelopment and expansion project completed in 2019, Fourways Mall boasts a gross lettable area of 178 202 square metres, officially making it the largest shopping mall in South Africa by floor space.

Today, the shopping centre Greybe grew up visiting is also a place where he plays a role in shaping its future.

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As leasing executive at Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment, Greybe has watched Fourways Mall evolve over the years.

With The View, a new section of the mall precinct featuring a curated mix of restaurants, cafés, and beauty and artisan stores, launched on October 15, he finds himself part of another chapter in the story of a place he has known for most of his life.

The opening of The View marks a new phase for the development, which visitors have watched take shape through months of construction.

“I used to drive around here and wonder what the construction was about,” said Lonehill resident Fanele Msane. “I couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out because the mall is already big, and I personally had a struggle with navigating it.”

For Greybe, however, the changes are about more than a new space.

They are part of an effort to restore some of the appeal that made Fourways Mall a familiar destination.

He remembers a time when the mall was widely recognised as one of the country’s leading shopping destinations, but believes it lost some of its energy as it expanded.

“I think it lost a little bit of energy along the way,” Greybe said.

In his view, the expansion left the mall feeling too big, with some of the warmth and character that had drawn people there missing.

“When we were brought on board, we were a very energy-focused business, and we wanted to bring some love back into the mall,” Greybe said.

One of the challenges the team initially faced was a vacancy rate of about 25%, according to Greybe.

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Fourways Mall has faced its share of challenges over the years, with vacant retail spaces affecting parts of the centre.

But that has now changed, with Greybe stating that approximately 140 tenant deals had since been completed as part of efforts to introduce a broader mix of businesses to the shopping centre.

These include wellness offerings, furniture stores, restaurants and coffee shops, reflecting a focus on giving visitors different reasons to spend time at the mall.

“We just try to provide it as an everyday experience, bringing people for many different reasons,” Greybe said.

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