South Africa's retail industry has undergone a significant transformation over the past years, and what makes it more interesting is how heritage and culture have influenced the way people shop today.
Adderley Street in Cape Town around 1900
The Roots of Retail in South Africa
The roots of South African retail can be traced back to informal trading markets. Long before formal retail structures emerged, communities traded essential goods such as food, livestock, and crafts - which served as economic lifelines, driven by cultural traditions of barter and exchange.
The Rise of Modern Retail Structures
The introduction of shopping malls, department stores, and supermarket chains signaled a shift toward a more structured retail environment. Think of Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square. These malls not only host a number of well-known international brands but are home to some incredible local brands as well.
At Sandton City, you will find the world class African denim and lifestyle brand TSHEPO Jeans, which blends heritage and innovation, while telling the story of our homeland. Additional local favorites, among others that cater to the unique needs of shoppers across L2D’s mall portfolio include Yuppie Chef, known for its high-quality kitchen and homeware, while Checkers and Pick n Pay continue to serve as household staples, offering a wide variety of groceries and essential products.
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Dischem and Clicks lead the way in health and beauty, providing convenient access to pharmacies, and homegrown fashion brands like Mr Price, Truworths, and Edgars, alongside TFG brands, continue to deliver affordable and stylish clothing. For book lovers, Exclusive Books remains a beloved destination, offering a rich selection of literature for our local shoppers.
Constantia Emporium: A Story of Reclamation and Innovation
The land on which Constantia Emporium sits was originally owned by the Solomon family, who purchased it in 1902. It comprises the original Lots 10 and 11 that were part of a Constantia farm, called Sillery. The family farmed vegetables and grapes on the site, for both local consumption and export markets.
The trapezoidal site encompasses around 1.5 hectares, and is in a prime location. In the 1960s, the apartheid government took the land from the family, under its racist Group Areas Act, whereby many families across South Africa were displaced. The Act assigned different areas in the country as exclusive to specific races, with preference given to white residents for more desirable areas.
Rashaad Solomon, who was born on the land in 1945, said in 2019 that he still remembered the day he and his family were forcefully evicted from their farm.
After around 50 years, the original owners (the Solomon family) won one of the most successful land claim cases in South Africa's history, and received their property back. Controversially, the Land Claims Commissioner required a business plan from the Solomon family, as part of the Settlement Agreement. Thus, a proposal for a retail center, featuring a flagship Checkers store, was submitted.
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Thereafter, the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) approved the planning application. The event was a celebration of the family's struggle to reclaim land that was unjustly taken from them. de Lille remarked, "As we acknowledge our past, we now have an opportunity to design our own future, and this is what the Solomon family has done. They decided to design their own future with their own land.
The Checkers supermarket is a flagship store for the chain, and is part of its expansion into the high-income-earning market in South Africa. The shopping center features a visual display on the wall to the left of the main stairwell, leading from the underground parking to its first floor.
Constantia Emporium was awarded the SAPOA Property Development Award for Innovative Excellence in Retail Development (2020).
Stuttafords: A Legacy of Upscale Retail
Stuttaford's was a chain of upscale department stores in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia that operated for 159 years from 1858 through 2017. It was nicknamed the "Harrods of South Africa". Founder Samson Rickard Stuttaford opened his first shop in 1857 in Cape Town city centre.
His son was Richard Stuttaford (b. 1870) was a prominent businessman and entered the firm in 1886. In 1859 Povall & Stuttaford was established. In 1868 the company Thorne, Stuttaford & Co.
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In 1978, Graham Beck's Kangra Holdings bought Stuttafords, which at that point had five stores, for 12 million rand. On 24 August 1979 the company was delisted from the stock exchange. In 1983 he sold the Durban branch to Garlicks.
In 1986 he sold Stuttaford's 45% share in Cavendish Square shopping centre. in 1987 he sold the Cape Town Adderley Street flagship store to Unidev for 11 million rand.
In 1987, what remained of Stuttafords, which by then also included the remaining John Orr's and Garlicks store branches, was sold to Greatermans, another department store, which was part of Kirsh Trading, later Tradegro. The John Orr's and Garlicks branches were rebranded Stuttafords which then had 8 branches.
Pepkor acquired Stuttafords in 1992 along with Ackermans, Checkers and Cashbuild. In 1998 Pepkor announced that it planned to sell Stuttafords and focus on its core business, serving low- to lower-middle-income consumers.
In 2008, under CEO Marco Cicoria, the store pivoted again, aiming to be the country's leading retailer selling international upmarket brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ted Baker, Gap and Banana Republic. dollar (on top of a 45% import duty) made the upmarket products extremely expensive in the local currency.
The store at Adderley and Hout streets was the largest and grandest, and formed the central shopping district together with other now-closed department stores such as Garlicks and Fletcher & Cartwright's. The flagship was a complete department store, as opposed to the smaller department stores focusing on apparel and soft home goods that it would operate starting around the turn of the 21st century.
In 2006, Stuttafords had the most stores in its history, 22 in total.
Stuttafords Store Locations:
- CAPE TOWN: 1938 building at SW corner of Adderley and Hout, through to St Georges Mall.
- JOHANNESBURG: First branch 1893, rebuilt 1897. 10-story building in Pritchard Street erected 1903.
- PRETORIA and Tshwane
- DURBAN and eThekwini
PEP: The History Of South Africa's Iconic Clothing Retail
The Future of Retail in South Africa
As we look to the future, heritage is also shaping how the retail industry approaches sustainability. Committed to our purpose of creating experiential spaces that benefit generations and are Good, Smart, Interactive, Thriving and Safe, Liberty Two Degrees recognizes that the country’s rich heritage will continue to shape the retail landscape - and we welcome it.
