Its GM, Ian Buncombe, says Southgate had lost its more affluent shoppers to centres perceived as more upmarket. 'We are convinced that this upgrade will bring those aspirant shoppers back,' he said.

Since the centre was built in 1990 a number of others have come to the market, and competition has become tighter. Owners Pareto, Allan Gray Property Investments and Sycom believe that to remain competitive, a shopping centre must be renovated at least once every seven years.

The refurbishment, which began in February, expanded Southgate's retail area by about 4700m² to 65000m².

New stores have been introduced to the centre, including a bigger Webbers, Truworths Identity, Girlz Boutique, J & E Kiddies, Kohinoor, City Girl and Indx on the upper level.

The centre has a new taxi rank, and its entertainment area and food court have had a facelift. Additional seating is to be added to the food court, which also has new tenants.

General aesthetic upgrading included new floor tiles, railings, bulkheads and ceiling inlays, improved toilet facilities and an additional lift and escalator to improve traffic flow between levels.

The project was carried out by architects Bentel Abramson & Partners with Fikile Stocks as the main contractor.

Business Day