Cavendish Square

Cavendish Square is a multi-storey shopping centre in Claremont, one of Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, South Africa. The centre opened on 7 September 1972 as one of Cape Town’s largest upscale shopping developments of its time. It was developed as a project associated with the Stuttafords department-store chain, and its original tenant mix included a full-line Stuttaford’s department store and a Greatermans department store. The latter space was later occupied by Garlicks, reflecting the changing structure of South African department-store retail. The centre was designed as an indoor-oriented retail destination serving Claremont and surrounding suburban communities. Its format combines fashion, grocery, health and beauty, sporting goods, restaurants, specialist shops, services and entertainment, supported by several floors of indoor parking. The shopping centre has remained a significant retail destination despite changes in the South African retail market and the decline or disappearance of several historic department-store chains connected with its early history. Current anchor tenants identified for the centre include Woolworths, Cotton On, H&M, Mr Price, Clicks, Pick n Pay and Sportsmans Warehouse. In addition to conventional mall retail, Cavendish Square hosts the Made in the Cape Artisans Market, giving the centre a platform for locally produced goods and independent makers. This complements its role as both a convenience destination and a broader lifestyle and shopping venue. In 2023, Cavendish Square formalized and redeveloped an informal trading area on Dreyer Street, between the shopping centre and the Cavendish Connect building. The street had previously been used by vehicles but had gradually become an informal marketplace. The redevelopment created a pedestrianized retail environment known as Dreyer Street Market, with roofing, permanent or built-in stores, utility connections and formal signage. The project formed part of wider renovations and expanded the centre’s relationship with the surrounding public realm. Old Mutual is the current owner of Cavendish Square through its property subsidiary, Old Mutual Property. As of December 2025, the centre was reported to receive approximately 1.2 million shoppers per month. Its continued operation reflects the durability of established suburban shopping-centre formats in Cape Town, while its tenant mix, local-market initiatives and public-space upgrades show an effort to adapt the property to contemporary retail and community-use expectations.

Cavendish Square was developed in Claremont, Cape Town, during a period when enclosed suburban shopping centres were becoming important components of South African urban retail. The centre opened on 7 September 1972 and was, at the time, described as the largest upscale shopping centre to open in Cape Town. Its development was associated with Stuttafords, the department-store chain that operated one of the centre’s original major stores. The initial tenant configuration reflected the department-store-led retail model of the early 1970s. A full-line Stuttaford’s occupied a prominent position, while Greatermans also operated a department store at the centre. The Greatermans space was subsequently taken over by Garlicks. These changes illustrate the evolution of South African department-store retail and the eventual decline of several historic chains, including Stuttafords, which later ceased trading. Over time, Cavendish Square developed into a multi-level shopping destination with a broad tenant mix and multiple floors of indoor parking. Its offer expanded beyond department stores to include fashion, grocery, health and beauty, sports, food and beverage, specialist retail and services. The centre’s location in Claremont enabled it to serve nearby residential areas as well as the wider Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. The property continued to operate as an established retail centre under Old Mutual ownership. Old Mutual owns the centre through Old Mutual Property, reflecting the role of commercial real estate within the financial group’s wider property interests. The centre’s contemporary anchor tenants include Woolworths, Cotton On, H&M, Mr Price, Clicks, Pick n Pay and Sportsmans Warehouse. It also provides space for the Made in the Cape Artisans Market, adding a local-producer component to the national-chain and mainstream-retail mix. A notable later development occurred in 2023 on Dreyer Street, located between Cavendish Square and the Cavendish Connect building. Although the street had previously carried vehicles, it had gradually become an informal trading area. Cavendish Square incorporated the location into a formal redevelopment programme, creating a pedestrian shopping area called Dreyer Street Market. The project added roofing, built-in retail units, utility connections and formal signage, and was presented as part of broader renovations to the centre. By December 2025, Cavendish Square was reported to receive an average of approximately 1.2 million shoppers per month. This reported footfall, together with its long operating history and broad tenant base, indicates that the centre remains an important suburban retail property in Cape Town. Its development from a 1970s department-store-centred project into a diversified shopping and public-market environment reflects wider changes in retail formats, consumer expectations and the use of shopping-centre-adjacent urban space.

1. 2025Reported monthly shopper volume

   As of December 2025, the centre was reported to receive an average of approximately 1.2 million shoppers per month.

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2. 2023Dreyer Street Market is formalized

   A previously informal trading area on Dreyer Street was redeveloped as a pedestrianized market area with roofing, built-in stores, utility connections and formal signage.

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3. 1972Cavendish Square opens

   The shopping centre opened on 7 September 1972 in Claremont, Cape Town. At launch it was regarded as Cape Town’s largest upscale shopping-centre development.

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An established upscale suburban shopping centre serving Claremont and Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, combining mainstream national retailers, lifestyle stores, dining, services and local artisan-market activity.

• Cavendish Square shopping centreShopping centre1972

  The core offering is a multi-storey indoor shopping centre in Claremont, Cape Town. It provides a diversified retail environment covering fashion, groceries, health and beauty, sport, dining, specialist shops and services, with multiple levels of indoor parking. The centre’s tenant-led model combines major South African and international retail brands with local-market activity.

• Dreyer Street MarketPedestrian retail market2023

  Dreyer Street Market is a formalized pedestrian shopping area created during Cavendish Square’s 2023 renovations. It occupies a street previously used by vehicles and transformed an informal trading area into a more structured retail environment with covered space, built-in stores, utility links and official wayfinding or market signage.

• Made in the Cape Artisans MarketArtisan market

  The Made in the Cape Artisans Market is a recurring local-producer marketplace hosted at Cavendish Square. It supplements the centre’s conventional tenant mix by providing a venue for locally made products and independent artisans.

• 2023Redevelopment of Dreyer Street as a pedestrian marketStrategy

  Dreyer Street, between Cavendish Square and the Cavendish Connect building, had become an informal trading area despite previously being used by vehicles.

  What changed. Cavendish Square incorporated the area into broader renovations and created the formalized Dreyer Street Market, adding pedestrian space, roofing, built-in stores, utility connections and official signage.

  Aftermath. The project expanded the centre’s retail footprint and created a more structured public-facing market environment adjacent to the main shopping centre.

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• 2023Cavendish Square opens the Dreyer Street Market

  Cavendish Square completed a pedestrianized and formalized retail area on Dreyer Street as part of wider renovations. The project replaced an informal trading environment with a modern market area featuring roofing, built-in stores, utility links and official signage.

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1. Cavendish Square (shopping centre)