The Ballito Lifestyle Centre has just turned 21, and like any 21-year-old, that journey has included growth, excitement and a fair bit of uncertainty too.

Founded by brothers Bruce and Paul Rencken in 2003, Lifestyle has grown from an 8 500m² convenience centre into a 30 000m² meeting and shopping hub.

The centre now boasts 94 tenants offering a wide variety of products, food options and experiences which combine to make it a must-visit for tourists and essential to the daily lives of thousands.

Looking back on a success story is never as simple as going from point A to B however, and there have been a fair few obstacles to hurdle in the centre’s 21 years of operation.

That includes the earliest beginnings of the centre itself.

“We initially planned to be involved as tenants, but when things didn’t work out, we took the plunge and did the development ourselves,” said Bruce.

“In the early 2000s, the site of Lifestyle Centre was a sugar cane field and many people thought we were crazy to take the risk of a development. The relocation of Durban’s international airport in 2010 certainly accelerated the growth in the area, but so did initiatives such as the maintenance of Ballito, development of Zimbali and Simbithi, iLembe Chamber, more recently the UIP and Ashton, which all contributed to creating an environment where people wanted to be and were prepared to invest in,” he said.

As the area grew, so too did competition in the retail space and the Lifestyle Centre faced its biggest challenge to date when it lost 60% of tenants to the Ballito Junction Regional Mall when the mall’s expansion was announced for 2017.

“It was scary, and we honestly didn’t know if we were going to survive. Our obvious options were to either sell the building relatively untenanted or turn it into a ‘Value Centre’, which didn’t resonate with us at all. From the beginning, we wanted Ballito Lifestyle Centre to be about human interaction and a place where locals could come to relax and connect with family and friends.”
So began a move towards something unique, particularly with the development of The Market as a central meeting place.

“The Market has been by far our boldest and best decision ever. It is amazing to see locals and visitors (national and international) embracing the space that has become our ‘heartbeat’ and our point of difference.”

It is indicative of the forward-looking model of Lifestyle, where the centre is constantly looking to update itself and become a market leader.

That has been a major factor in its ongoing success through a difficult trading period.

“While it has been a tough decade from a macro perspective, and for KZN in particular, Ballito has stood firm as KwaZulu-Natal’s premier coastal town and the greater Ballito area continues to show tremendous growth. I am confident that things are going to turn around in the next 12 to 24 months, and that we are going to have a fantastic next decade.”

Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.

Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.