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Mallcomm expands into South Africa, partnering with Liberty Two Degrees

29 November 2021 – Global proptech company Mallcomm announces today it has signed its first partnership in South Africa, with leading South African REIT Liberty Two Degrees (L2D), creating a bespoke digital tenant-engagement platform for their retail property portfolio, starting with a pilot implementation at L2D’s high-quality property, Eastgate Shopping Centre in Gauteng.

The partnership, which represents a significant milestone for Mallcomm’s international expansion on the African continent following its entry into Egypt earlier this year, alongside significant growth over the last 6 months in the USA and Europe with recent signings of close to an additional 250 properties.

Mallcomm’s proprietary technology will be used by L2D to deliver a bespoke 360 technology platform for asset and property management. Mallcomm will streamline their everyday tasks, join up all stakeholders, and generate new insights for more efficient and effective operations, significant budget savings, and valuable insights. The property will also be utilizing Mallcomm’s best in class crisis management to further ensure the safety and security of all its occupants.

Mallcomm was recently awarded the title of the first Carbon Negative proptech company in the UK and whilst the company will assist further in creating workplace ecosystems of the future, Liberty Two Degrees is already a forward-thinking REIT in this area. Having launched Eastgate Shopping Centre’s Aquaponics Farm District, the first of its kind for shopping centres in Africa, as well as an organic Rooftop Garden, compost centre and living wall which are carefully curating retail-led destinations that put the surrounding community and ESG at the centre of its operations, this appears to be a deliberate and purposeful pursuit of initiatives and services that consider an ESG impact, value creation underpinned by a strong ESG proposition.

Michelle Buxton, CEO of Mallcomm, said: “We are thrilled to be expanding in Africa with our entry into South Africa with one of the leading South African REITs. Liberty Two Degrees is an established real estate company that has a strong portfolio of assets and is becoming renowned for its pioneering ESG work in the sector which aligns closely with Mallcomm’s ESG objectives. We are very excited to have been selected by them to roll out digital engagement and deliver the next phase of evolution at their renowned retail destinations to create a better, personalised experience for their customers and the surrounding communities.

“From a personal perspective, as a South African, I have always had a desire to be able to go back to my roots and support the employment and growth in my native country, so I am thrilled to be able to bring my experience from thirty years working in global real estate back to South Africa. Having established a Mallcomm office in South Africa, we are looking to grow our mandate and Liberty Two Degrees represents a significant step in our journey to doing so.”

Amelia Beattie, Chief Executive of Liberty Two Degrees, said: “We believe in making sure that the physical environment lives alongside the digital environment and to use the improved insights into the performance of our assets to give us the confidence to make real-time data-driven decisions. This ensures that we not only perform better and are able to report seamlessly but can also be used in the development of actionable steps that will improve processes and optimise results, along with improved engagements with tenants and eventually customers. We envisage a future where we collaborate with our tenants to ensure that they thrive when operating within our malls and also that the customers in our malls experience enjoyable moments, because they are in a safe space and have been provided with all the relevant information needed to ensure a great shopping experience. With the 6-months pilot launching in January 2022, we look forward to working closely with Mallcomm to create a tenant-engagement platform which provides an elevated tenant experience, and to later explore developing a customer-engagement platform with them.”

Mallcomm’s appointment by Liberty Two Degrees in South Africa significantly expands its global footprint, following substantial traction across Europe and the US, where it has grown by more than 50% over the last six months. Mallcomm is the leading proptech platform for the retail property sector globally, utilised at over 650 properties comprising more than 37,2million sqm in 22 countries. Clients include leading property owners Hammerson, Brookfield Retail Properties, Klepierre, Oxford Properties, Mall of America and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.