‘OG’ tenants 21 years young… here from the beginning!

‘OG’ tenants 21 years young… here from the beginning!

It’s no secret that a shopping centre’s success relies heavily on the quality and dependability of its tenants. Over the past 21 years, the Ballito Lifestyle Centre has fine-tuned its tenant mix to ensure a positive shopping experience for all. Five tenants, who have been at the centre since the day it opened, have truly stood the test of time!

BBS Mica Hardware

The BBS Mica Hardware Ballito HODs & supervisors

Renowned for their friendly service and excellent hardware offering, BBS Mica Hardware opened their Ballito franchise when the Ballito Lifestyle Centre opened in 2003. It is owned by brothers Bryan and Gary Tyack, who started trading in the hardware and building industry in Babanango in 1977. They own five stores and a large roof truss manufacturing plant in Empangeni.

How has your Ballito branch evolved over the past 21 years? Our business has grown from strength to strength, thanks to our hardworking, loyal staff. We run a family business built on trust, and we believe this has ensured our strong and loyal relationships with both our staff and customers.

How has being at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre benefitted your business? The Ballito Lifestyle Centre is centrally located, and our store enjoys excellent exposure to heavy foot traffic. This has increased with more DIY enthusiasts and homeowners shopping in nearby stores. We also service busy contractors, who enjoy being able to grab a coffee on the go.

What does the future hold for BBS Mica at the Centre? The future of a hardware store is shaped by one’s ability to adapt to changing consumer needs, technological advancements, and sustainability trends. We hope to offer a strong, personalised online service while embracing innovation and community engagement. We plan to upgrade our store and nursery, which should be completed by the end of 2025.

WIMPY

Bobby and Cornelia Botha


Wimpy restaurants are a beloved addition to almost all South African shopping centres. Wimpy Ballito is no exception. It is owned by the humble and hardworking couple, Bobby and Cornelia Botha, who have agricultural and teaching backgrounds respectively. The couple moved to Ballito in 1994 and opened their first Wimpy at the Balvista Centre in the Ballito Village in 1996. Their second store opened when the Ballito Lifestyle Centre opened, in 2003.

How has your business evolved over the past 21 years? Our Wimpy has grown with the town. We opened a Kid’s Wimpy at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre In 2007. It was the first of its kind, focussed on the younger generation, with jumping castles, putt-putt and Playstation to keep the kids entertained while the adults enjoyed quiet time under the wild fig trees!

How has being at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre benefitted your business? Ballito Lifestyle Centre is the play where locals come to meet and Wimpy is the place where anybody and everybody is welcome. Our menu is available in 11 different languages. The franchise has grown with the democracy of our country.

What does the future hold for Wimpy at Ballito Lifestyle Centre? With more than 28 years of experience, Wimpy will continue to serve each customer with the same passion we always have from the beginning. Ballito Lifestyle Centre is not just another shopping centre … it is life, the Ballito way!

HAIR 4U

Celia Ganswyk

With over 46 years of experience in the hairdressing industry, Hair4U owner Celia Ganswyk is also a qualified assessor and moderator and has trained many young apprentices to become professional hairstylists. She opened her first, small salon in Ballito in 1996, and relocated to the Ballito Lifestyle Centre when it opened in 2003.

How has your business evolved over the past 21 years? Our first lease was for a small, 82m² premises, which we quickly outgrew. We then moved to a bigger space, where we stayed for the next twelve years until the development of Eat Street. We have been in our current shop for seven years. Hair4U has had incredible support from both our local and holiday customers. We have grown our retail component massively, and we have manicure and pedicure services as well.

How has being at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre benefitted your business? Ballito Lifestyle Centre is a great, outdoor centre where families and friends can connect, shop and choose from a huge selection of restaurants. We love that the centre has individually owned stores where consumers enjoy a hands-on approach from friendly staff. The centre recently invested in solar panels, which is a huge benefit during power outages, and our visitors enjoy free, secure parking and friendly security services.

What does the future hold for Hair4U? Hair 4U has been at the Lifestyle Centre since its first day of trading and we have had amazing support and guidance from management. With their continued support, and that of our staff and clients, we can only hope to grow from strength to strength.

SUPERSPAR & TOPS

Bruce and Paul Rencken

As a third-generation retail family, brothers Paul and Bruce Rencken grew up in the industry. Paul joined his father’s business, working in a rural trading store in Mandeni in 1985 and, years later, he and Bruce opened their own Spar and TOPS stores in Wartburg, Stanger and Ballito. Together they started the Ballito Lifestyle Centre and Lifestyle SUPERSPAR in 2003.

How has your business evolved over the past 21 years? Lifestyle SUPERSPAR has always been ahead of its time, but we have evolved and changed according to the customer base in Ballito. What used to be a small, seaside holiday village has grown into a huge town, with many people relocating to Ballito from all over KZN and other provinces. Ballito’s laid-back lifestyle, complimented by the ocean and great weather, is a huge attraction and has helped our business grow. So much so that we tripled the size of our Lifestyle TOPS store in 2020 and redesigned it completely.

How has being at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre benefitted your business? Being the anchor tenant in this incredible centre means we have a symbiotic relationship. My brother Bruce and his fantastic team have done an amazing job repositioning Lifestyle Centre. It went from being a small, traditional ‘neighbourhood shopping centre’ into a way of life (the BALLITO way), where everyone comes to shop, eat, relax and connect. We have obviously benefitted from the shoppers that the centre draws and the atmosphere that is created here. It’s a pleasure to shop here.

What does the future hold for SUPERSPAR? We have some exciting plans in progress. The centre and the SUPERSPAR have always complimented each other – and will continue to do so as we evolve and grow, together.