The story of the birth and growth of the Ballito Lifestyle Centre is as fascinating and remarkable as the story of Ballito itself. Since its official opening 21 years ago, the team behind this beloved neighbourhood centre has walked the path of rapid development and incredible change alongside the Ballito community – and continues to do so. What started as a ‘small convenience centre’, has arguably become the heartbeat of the North Coast and an intrinsic part of what makes this town such a unique and beautiful place to live. Co-owner and developer, Bruce Rencken, reflects on the incredible journey it has been.
A BOLD DECISION
Like most great stories, it all began with someone making a bold decision. Brothers Bruce and Paul Rencken had been in retail for most of their lives (following the footsteps of their father, who was one of the founding members of SPAR South Africa) when they decided to open a SUPERSPAR at a soon-to-be-developed neighbourhood shopping centre in Ballito.
However, when things didn’t pan out with the initial developers, their plan evolved into the two of them deciding to purchase the land and build the centre themselves, instead. “We initially planned to be involved as tenants, but when things didn’t work out, we took the plunge and did the development ourselves,” says Bruce.
The brothers’ independent entrepreneurial spirits led to them opening the much-anticipated Ballito Lifestyle Centre in 2003. They could never have known then the road that lay ahead of them, and just what an incredible rollercoaster ride the next 21 years would be.
PIVOTING WITH PURPOSE
Similar to the town itself, the Ballito Lifestyle Centre has grown in phases, starting as a humble 8500m² ‘small convenience centre’ in 2003, growing to a bigger ‘strip mall’ in 2007, and now being a 30 000m² ‘super neighbourhood shopping centre’.
“We always knew that the KZN North Coast was special and that the area had promise, but no idea of exactly how much. In the early 2000s, the site of Lifestyle Centre was a sugar cane field and many people thought we were crazy to take the risk of a development. The relocation of Durban’s international airport in 2010 certainly accelerated the growth in the area, but so did initiatives like the maintenance of Ballito, development of Zimbali and Simbithi, Ilembe Chamber, more recently the UIP and Ashton which all contributed to creating an environment where people wanted to be and were prepared to invest in.
While it is exciting being in a town where fast growth is happening, Bruce admits it can also be daunting and unpredictable. “We were surprised when the regional Ballito Junction Shopping Mall announced its extension to 80000m2 in 2016, as we didn’t anticipate it happening quite so soon.”
As is usually the case, national tenants congregate in regional malls and the Ballito Lifestyle Centre lost sixty percent of its tenants almost overnight. “It was scary, and we honestly didn’t know if we were going to survive. Our obvious options were to either sell the building relatively untenanted or turn it into a ‘Value Centre’, which didn’t resonate with us at all. From the beginning, we wanted Ballito Lifestyle Centre to be about human interaction and a place where locals could come to relax and connect with family and friends.”
So, just like that, the focus shifted and, instead of hoping to dominate retail in Ballito, they decided to differentiate, offering their customers a place that truly captures the essence of living life the Ballito way.
A PLACE TO MEET AND CONNECT
Determined to create a unique and enticing space that felt comfortable, like a ‘home away from home’, Bruce and his team started the process of sourcing the perfect tenant mix.
From the very start, Bruce says, everything hinged around the success of The Market, a concept unlike anything the North Coast, or South Africa, had seen before. “We wanted to create a hub for local businesses, run by individuals who were willing to partner with us, and brands that embodied our ethos.”
While their decision to put ‘communal seating’ in The Market was a risky one, Bruce says they were blown away at how well it was received. “The Market has been by far our boldest and best decision ever. It is amazing to see locals and visitors (national and international) embracing the space that has become our ‘heartbeat’ and our point of difference. The Eat Street avenue of restaurants further adds to the inviting atmosphere, offering al-fresco dining, live music and a great vibe, and we are excited to welcome the beloved Waxy O’Connors authentic Irish restaurant and pub into the fold in the next few months.”
THE PERFECT RETAIL MIX
In addition to the great food and family dining offerings, Lifestyle Centre is known and loved for the personal touch and the beautiful design that integrates indoor and outdoor in a way that really brings the feeling of “street-scene” shopping to life. Securing the correct mix of retail tenants, including anchors, is fundamental to ensuring foot traffic in any centre. For Ballito Lifestyle Centre, these include SUPERSPAR, Tops, Woolworths, BBS Mica and Dis-Chem. “We believe each of these stores offers a fantastic shopping experience for our customers and adds value to the centre,” says Bruce. “We have been very intentional and strategic around the tenants we have. Over time, we have managed to align our tenant mix to ensure our customer experience is nothing short of fantastic. From the fashion node, with beautiful boutique stores like White Summer, Muze and Holiday, to the exciting upmarket brands positioned between Woolworths and Kauai like Freedom Of Movement, Yuppiechef and Saint & Summer, everything is underpinned by our philosophy of being an extension of ‘Life, The Ballito Way.’”
THE NEXT GENERATION
While he admits that theirs is not a traditional business model, but instead a highly operational and integrated one, Bruce says the centre, like Ballito, is a living, breathing entity that continues to grow and change. “We prioritize close relationships with our tenants as we believe this translates into their businesses and staff and, ultimately, the customer experience. Respect and trust are of utmost importance.” As a father of three, Bruce remains excited and positive about the future of the Ballito and the greater North Coast region. “Our kids have grown up here and all of them are determined to come back and put down their roots here, in Ballito. I’m quietly confident that both my sons will step into the family business, creating a third generation of Rencken ‘shop keepers’,” he laughs.
“No one could ever have anticipated the rate of change of Ballito and the North Coast. It is simply incredible to live here – from a business, lifestyle, family and personal perspective – and we are so lucky to call this home. While it has been a tough decade from a macro perspective, and for KZN in particular, Ballito has stood firm as KwaZulu-Natal’s premier coastal town and the greater Ballito area continues to show tremendous growth. I am confident that things are going to turn around in the next 12 to 24 months, and that we are going to have a fantastic next decade.”
