Time to shop till you drop at the Joburg Shopping Festival
27 July 2016
Forget the one-day black Friday deals for a moment because Johannesburg's ultimate shopping extravaganza is upon us.
Into its third year, the 13-day Johannesburg Shopping Festival starts on Thursday July 28 and promises to be bigger and better than ever before, giving shoppers the opportunity to shop until they drop while enjoying Johannesburg’s rich cornucopia of tourism and lifestyle offerings.
The two-week festival, which runs until Tuesday August 9, offers an unbelievable array of specials and discounts as well as daily prize giveaways valued at over R1-million. Shoppers and bargain hunters will be able to swipe to their hearts' delight at four of Johannesburg’s most popular retail attractions - Rosebank Mall, Oriental Plaza, Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square. This year Ekurhuleni’s East Rand Mall also joins the ranks of participating retail outlets.
Supported by the City of Johannesburg and Joburg Tourism, the Gauteng Tourism Authority and UnionPay International, the Johannesburg Shopping Festival is expected to draw shoppers from across the city and the rest of Africa for great specials, discounts and the opportunity to win one of four Chevrolet Sparks, SA Airways tickets, Sun City getaways and tickets to the Joy of Jazz Festival.
“Shopping as part of the big city urban lifestyle offering is a major drawcard for Joburg and Gauteng in particular. We receive both domestic and regional visitors whose sole reason to travel to our destination is to look for inspiration, check on the latest fashion and lifestyle trends and shop for both personal and retail resale usage. The Joburg Shopping Festival is therefore our response to this need, especially from neighbouring provinces and our South African Development Community (SADC) region,” says Head of Joburg Tourism Bintu Petsana.
Petsana says through the continued development of retail services and offerings, shopping tourism in Johannesburg has emerged as a catalyst for urban regeneration by adding value to areas previously less visited by tourists.
“Cities utilise shopping and retail experiences to boost the appeal of the destination and support economic growth and income generation. Shopping tourism and cities form a symbiotic partnership. This is very much true in the case of Joburg, where we have seen new neighbourhoods emerge, anchored by shopping and lifestyle hubs such as Melrose Arch, Parkhurst, Rosebank and Sandton. The revitalisation of Braamfontein and Maboneng has further created new neighbourhoods and experiences that locals and international visitors are now frequenting,” says Petsana.
She explains that from a business perspective, retail tourists from the rest of Africa represent a large and meaningful contribution to Johannesburg’s economy with high-end air travellers topping this lucrative market as the biggest spenders.
“Where cross-border land arrivals are concerned, this audience spends a considerable amount on consumer goods to take home, often for resale.”
Keep in the loop with all the latest on the Joburg Shopping Festival on Twitter by following #JoburgShopFest.For the best advice on what to see and do in and around Johannesburg, log ontowww.joburgtourism.com