logo
Sandton City's rooftop transformation set to redefine African retail

Sandton City's rooftop transformation set to redefine African retail

Zawya07-05-2025

The property business line in the Insurance and Asset Management (IAM) business unit of the Standard Bank Group, Liberty Two Degrees (L2D), a precinct focused retail-centred portfolio, aims to continue to position its malls as hubs that offer more than just the traditional shopping experience.
To embrace the evolving needs of customers, L2D intends to create vibrant community hubs and lifestyle destinations, and is thus expanding the offering at Sandton City, as part of its strategic rooftop masterplan.
In line with the L2D Interactive Spaces strategic building block, that aims to provide vibrant and diverse spaces and experiences within the malls, L2D's vision for Sandton City will ultimately unlock the rooftop to future development opportunities and a thriving potential for leisure, sport and dining in the heart of Africa's richest square mile.
Through the strategic redevelopment of Sandton City's rooftop area, L2D's long-term master plan is designed to align with the evolving lifestyle needs of its increasingly diverse and experience-driven customer base.
Melinda Isaacs, developments executive at L2D comments, 'The development of the Sandton City rooftop holds a pivotal opportunity in the mall's evolution.
"We are not only introducing new lifestyle elements but reimagining how customers engage with our retail spaces, ensuring our malls are relevant and responsive to future-facing consumer behaviours. Through this opportunity, we aim to create multifaceted hubs that support societal needs.
"In addition to creating interactive spaces, the aim of the rooftop activation is to create safe spaces through the provision of a safe urban space where visitors can increase their dwell times. This will also ensure that we continue to attract a broader demographic to the centre.'
Rooftop lifestyle upgrade
The initial implementation of Sandton City's rooftop initiative began with the installation of Net Set Padel, a premium padel centre located at entrance 8 with the indoor courts officially opened in March 2025. With sweeping 360-degree views across the Sandton skyline, the rooftop facility features four indoor and four padel outdoor courts built to international standards.
L2D's vision for Sandton City's new rooftop activation is to ultimately feature a curated mix of recreation, entertainment, and convenience-led amenities to encourage longer dwell times and attract a broader market segment.
'This phased transformation forms part of Sandton City's broader 20-year spatial plan to remain at the forefront of international retail trends, while adapting to changing consumer expectations,' adds Isaacs.
Elevated urban experience
By converting underutilised rooftop space into a multifunctional destination, L2D is positioning Sandton City as an integrated urban node where retail, sport, dining and digital convenience intersect.
Sandton City already houses over 375 world-class brands and experiences. With this rooftop transformation underway, the centre is set to further entrench its position as South Africa's leading hub of retail, entertainment, and curated lifestyle.
All rights reserved. © 2022. Bizcommunity.com Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

African Mining Week to Highlight Coal's Role in Regional Energy Security, Industrialization
African Mining Week to Highlight Coal's Role in Regional Energy Security, Industrialization

Zawya

timean hour ago

  • Zawya

African Mining Week to Highlight Coal's Role in Regional Energy Security, Industrialization

As Africa leverages coal to drive industrialization and support sustainable development, African Mining Week (AMW) – the continent's premier platform for mining stakeholders – will highlight investment opportunities within the coal sector. Scheduled for October 1–3, 2025 in Cape Town, the event will unite project developers, investors, policymakers and technology providers to advance coal-focused deals and partnerships. A dedicated panel discussion, 'Coal's Indispensable Role: Powering Africa's Downstream Processing and Manufacturing Boom,' will explore how coal contributes to energy security, economic growth and job creation across the continent. Coal remains a critical driver of energy security in Africa. The continent is expected to increase coal use by 6 million tons to 191 million tons per annum by 2027 under efforts to enhance the resilience of the electricity network, according to the International Energy Agency. In South Africa – Africa's largest producer and the world's sixth - the coal sector has been crucial in addressing load shedding, with a 7% increase in coal use in 2023 and 2024 strengthening the grid. On the global stage, African coal also plays an important role, accounting for over 3.5% of the world's total production, with producers such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana kickstarting new projects and optimizing existing assets. South Africa exports 28% of its coal production and ranks as the world's fourth largest coal exporting market. Glencore increased its South African coal production by 5% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching 4.2 million tons. In March 2025, Seriti Resources inaugurated the R500 million Naudesbank Colliery in Mpumalanga province, shortly after coal was designated a critical mineral by South Africa's Ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. Meanwhile, Canyon Coal is preparing to break ground on the R1.5 billion Sukuma Mine, targeting 7.2 million tons of annual output. In Zimbabwe, Contago Holdings' Muchesu project – backed by Huo Investments – is ramping up production to meet both domestic and export demand. Recognizing coal's strategic importance in shaping a just and inclusive energy transition and economic diversification, global public and private sector players are ramping up investment. In a landmark policy reversal in May 2025, the U.S. Export-Import Bank lifted its ban on financing overseas coal projects, opening new channels for international funding for African projects. South Africa's Exxaro and Eskom have entered into a joint agreement to invest in emissions reduction technologies, supporting cleaner coal usage aligned with just energy transition objectives. In Mpumalanga, Blue Ammonia Production is progressing with its R31.5 billion Suiso Coal-to-Fertilizer project, poised to create 4,000 jobs and enhance regional agricultural productivity. Botswana is similarly advancing a $2.5 billion coal-to-liquids plant, designed to strengthen the country's energy and fuel security. With African coal producers generating substantial revenue from coal exports, the industry will be crucial in funding the continent's renewable energy deployment and energy mix diversification, facilitating a just and inclusive energy transition African Mining Week 2025 will serve as a strategic platform to explore these developments and examine coal's evolving role in Africa's industrial future. The event will place a strong emphasis on sustainable coal practices that balance development with environmental stewardship and long-term transition goals. African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@ Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

Perilous prompts: How generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leaking companies' secrets
Perilous prompts: How generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leaking companies' secrets

Zawya

timean hour ago

  • Zawya

Perilous prompts: How generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leaking companies' secrets

Beneath the surface of GenAI's outputs lies a massive, mostly unregulated engine powered by data – your data. And whether it's through innocent prompts or habitual oversharing, users are feeding these machines with information that, in the wrong hands, becomes a security time bomb. A recent Harmonic report ( found that 8.5% of employee prompts to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot included sensitive data – most notably customer billing and authentication information – raising serious security, compliance, and privacy risks. Since ChatGPT's 2022 debut, generative AI has exploded in popularity and value – surpassing $25 billion in 2024 ( – but its rapid rise brings risks many users and organisations still overlook. 'One of the privacy risks when using AI platforms is unintentional data leakage,' warns Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy&Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. 'Many people don't realise just how much sensitive information they're inputting.' Your data is the new prompt It's not just names or email addresses that get hoovered up. When an employee asks a GenAI assistant to 'rewrite this proposal for client X' or 'suggest improvements to our internal performance plan,' they may be sharing proprietary data, customer records, or even internal forecasts. If done via platforms with vague privacy policies or poor security controls, that data may be stored, processed, or – worst-case scenario – exposed. And the risk doesn't end there. 'Because GenAI feels casual and friendly, people let their guard down,' says Collard. 'They might reveal far more than they would in a traditional work setting – interests, frustrations, company tools, even team dynamics.' In aggregate, these seemingly benign details can be stitched into detailed profiles by cybercriminals or data brokers – fuelling targeted phishing, identity theft, and sophisticated social engineering. A surge of niche platforms, a bunch of new risks Adding fuel to the fire is the rapid proliferation of niche AI platforms. Tools for generating product mock-ups, social posts, songs, resumes, or legalese are sprouting up at speed – many of them developed by small teams using open-source foundation models. While these platforms may be brilliant at what they do, they may not offer the hardened security architecture of enterprise-grade tools. 'Smaller apps are less likely to have been tested for edge-case privacy violations or undergone rigorous penetration tests and security audits,' says Collard. 'And many have opaque or permissive data usage policies.' Even if an app's creators have no malicious intent, weak oversight can lead to major leaks. Collard warns that user data could end up in: ● Third-party data broker databases ● AI training sets without consent ● Cybercriminal marketplaces following a breach In some cases, the apps might themselves be fronts for data-harvesting operations. From individual oversights to corporate exposure The consequences of oversharing aren't limited to the person typing the prompt. 'When employees feed confidential information into public GenAI tools, they can inadvertently expose their entire company,' ( explains Collard. 'That includes client data, internal operations, product strategies – things that competitors, attackers, or regulators would care deeply about.' While unauthorised shadow AI remains a major concern, the rise of semi-shadow AI – paid tools adopted by business units without IT oversight – is increasingly risky, with free-tier generative AI apps like ChatGPT responsible for 54% of sensitive data leaks due to permissive licensing and lack of controls, according to the Harmonic report. So, what's the solution? Responsible adoption starts with understanding the risk – and reining in the hype. 'Businesses must train their employees on which tools are ok to use, and what's safe to input and what isn't," says Collard. 'And they should implement real safeguards – not just policies on paper. 'Cyber hygiene now includes AI hygiene.' 'This should include restricting access to generative AI tools without oversight or only allowing those approved by the company.' 'Organisations need to adopt a privacy-by-design approach ( when it comes to AI adoption,' she says. 'This includes only using AI platforms with enterprise-level data controls and deploying browser extensions that detect and block sensitive data from being entered.' As a further safeguard, she believes internal compliance programmes should align AI use with both data protection laws and ethical standards. 'I would strongly recommend companies adopt ISO/IEC 42001 ( an international standard that specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS),' she urges. Ultimately, by balancing productivity gains with the need for data privacy and maintaining customer trust, companies can succeed in adopting AI responsibly. As businesses race to adopt these tools to drive productivity, that balance – between 'wow' and 'whoa' – has never been more crucial. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.

Ghana's President Mahama to Deliver Keynote Address at Mining in Motion 2025
Ghana's President Mahama to Deliver Keynote Address at Mining in Motion 2025

Zawya

timean hour ago

  • Zawya

Ghana's President Mahama to Deliver Keynote Address at Mining in Motion 2025

John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, will deliver the keynote address at the official opening of the Mining in Motion conference, taking place from June 2-4 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra. His address will outline the country's strategy and efforts by Africa to drive economic development through the sustainable exploitation of mineral resources. As Africa's leading gold producer, Ghana – under the leadership of President Mahama - continues to set the standard in sustainable resource management, investment attraction and local content development. In 2024, the country's gold mining sector generated $11.6 billion, with small-scale gold mining ( alone contributing $5 billion in export revenue and employing over one million people. The President's participation underscores Ghana and Africa's commitment to fostering a responsible, high-growth mining industry that supports economic expansion and job creation. Under the theme, Sustainable Mining&Local Growth – Leveraging Resources for Global Growth, Mining in Motion 2025 will convene Africa's top industry stakeholders, global investors and leading institutions – including the World Bank and the World Gold Council – to explore emerging trends, regulatory developments and technological advancements shaping the future of mining. The conference will highlight Ghana and Africa's strategic vision, emphasizing policies that enhance local benefits, promote sustainability and strengthen international partnerships. Organized by the Ashanti Green Initiative – led by Oheneba Kwaku Duah, Prince of Ghana's Ashanti Kingdom – in collaboration with the World Bank and the World Gold Council, with the support of Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the summit offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with industry leaders and engage in critical discussions on artisanal, small-scale and large-scale mining. Stay informed about the latest advancements, network with industry leaders, and engage in critical discussions on key issues impacting ASGM and medium to large scale mining in Ghana. Secure your spot at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit by visiting For sponsorship opportunities or delegate participation, contact Sales@ Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store