South Africa is home to hundreds of shopping malls, but a handful stand out when it comes to customer ratings.
A new ranking of almost 700 shopping centres has revealed the 10 best-rated malls in the country, based on more than 3.2 million Google reviews.
The research, conducted by SEO Backlinks, found that The Greenery in Polokwane is South Africa’s best-rated shopping centre, with an average score of 4.68 stars from 1 153 reviews.
It was followed by two high-profile Gauteng destinations, Melrose Arch and Nelson Mandela Square.
South Africa’s top 10 shopping malls
| Rank | Shopping centre | Location | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Greenery | Polokwane, Limpopo | 4.68 | 1 153 |
| 2 | Melrose Arch | Johannesburg, Gauteng | 4.66 | 2 314 |
| 3 | Nelson Mandela Square | Sandton, Gauteng | 4.63 | 14 515 |
| 4 | The Neighbourhood Square | Linksfield, Johannesburg | 4.61 | 2 489 |
| 5 | Marine Walk | Sibaya, KwaZulu-Natal | 4.60 | 1 011 |
| 6 | Loftus Park | Arcadia, Pretoria | 4.59 | 3 413 |
| 7 | Polofields Crossing | Waterfall, Midrand | 4.59 | 1 591 |
| 8 | Constantia Emporium | Constantia, Cape Town | 4.58 | 2 378 |
| 9 | Castle Gate Shopping Centre | Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria | 4.58 | 6 644 |
| 10 | La Lucia Mall | uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal | 4.57 | 3 251 |
Gauteng dominates the top 10
Gauteng has the strongest presence in the national top 10, with six shopping centres making the list.
These include Melrose Arch, Nelson Mandela Square, The Neighbourhood Square, Loftus Park, Polofields Crossing and Castle Gate Shopping Centre.
The province also has by far the largest number of centres included in the study, with 320 of the 678 shopping centres ranked.
Interestingly, Gauteng’s overall average was 4.17 stars, slightly below the national average of 4.18.
KwaZulu-Natal also performed strongly, with two centres in the national top 10. Marine Walk at Sibaya ranked fifth nationally with a 4.60-star average, while La Lucia Mall in uMhlanga came in tenth with 4.57 stars.
KZN had 88 shopping centres included in the study and an overall average of 4.18 stars, putting it third among the provinces ranked.
The Greenery in Polokwane took the number-one spot with a rating of 4.68, putting it ahead of some of South Africa’s most famous shopping destinations.
The Western Cape had just one centre in the national top 10: Constantia Emporium, which scored 4.58 stars.
The study’s overall average across all 678 shopping centres was 4.18 stars.
How the ranking was calculated
The research initially identified 1 197 South African shopping-mall listings with at least 300 Google reviews.
After excluding closed centres, markets, single shops, office parks, duplicate listings and other unsuitable entries, 678 centres with at least 1 000 reviews remained.
The researchers calculated each mall’s exact average using its one- to five-star review counts rather than relying on Google’s rounded rating.
The data was collected on 5 October 2026, meaning the rankings reflect Google reviews available at that time.