Liberty Midlands Mall is celebrating another award-winning year, earning three national marketing accolades and being named Best Mall by the people of Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands for the second consecutive year. The mall received three Silver Awards at the 2026 South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) Footprint Marketing Awards for its Boundless, ARTopia and Gaming Festival campaigns. It was also voted Best Mall in the 2026 Best of Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Readers’ Choice Awards.
The four accolades recognise different aspects of Liberty Midlands Mall’s role within the region, from creating innovative campaigns and experiences to building the kind of shopping, dining and entertainment destination that local residents continue to choose and support.
Three national awards for Midlands Mall campaigns
The annual SACSC Footprint Marketing Awards celebrate excellence in South African shopping-centre marketing, recognising campaigns for their strategy, creativity, execution and impact. Midlands Mall received three Silver Awards for campaigns implemented during 2025 and 2026, each designed to engage shoppers in a different way.
The Boundless brand campaign celebrated the many ways the mall forms part of its shoppers’ everyday lives. Through lifestyle-focused content and experiences, the campaign explored wellness, style, food, discovery, living and shared moments, telling stories that reflected the people and experiences that make up the Midlands Mall community.
ARTopia: Sustainable Strokes continued the mall’s support of young artistic talent, giving learners from local schools a platform to express their creativity while bringing schools, educators, families and shoppers together. The campaign celebrated the imagination and individuality of participating learners while encouraging conversations around sustainability.
The Gaming Festival: Next Dimension brought gaming, technology and entertainment together in an energetic interactive experience, creating opportunities for gamers, families and visitors to connect, compete and enjoy the mall in a different way.
A title chosen by the community
While the Footprint Awards brought national industry recognition, being named Best Mall in the Best of Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Readers’ Choice Awards carries a particularly local significance. This is the second consecutive year that Liberty Midlands Mall has received the title, with the award determined by votes from the community it serves.
Lawrence Joubert, General Manager of Liberty Midlands Mall, says receiving recognition from both industry peers and local shoppers makes the year particularly special. “We are incredibly proud of all four awards. The three Footprint Silver Awards recognise the creativity and hard work that goes into creating experiences our shoppers can genuinely enjoy, while being voted Best Mall for a second consecutive year means a great deal because that recognition comes directly from our community,” says Joubert.
“Liberty Midlands Mall has been part of Pietermaritzburg for many years, and the continued support of our shoppers is something we never take for granted. These awards are shared with our mall team, stores, service providers and campaign partners, as well as every shopper who visits, participates and continues to choose Midlands Mall.”
The latest accolades add to Liberty Midlands Mall’s growing list of achievements and reinforce its commitment to creating a shopping, dining and entertainment destination that continues to evolve with the needs and interests of the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands community.