Festival Mall in Kempton Park has been temporarily closed after a powerful hail and rainstorm caused roof damage to parts of the shopping centre on Thursday night. The severe weather system, which swept across the eastern areas of Johannesburg, left sections of the mall’s roof compromised, particularly in the passageway between Woolworths and Edgars.
According to a statement shared by the mall’s management on Facebook, the shopping centre was already closed to the public when the storm struck. No injuries have been reported.
Security personnel and management teams responded “immediately”, the statement said, with emergency services and structural experts alerted soon after the storm passed. “Teams worked through the night to assess the extent of the damage and begin planning repair work to ensure the mall can reopen safely,” management added.
The mall emphasised that the safety of tenants, staff and shoppers “is, and always remains, our top priority”, confirming that the building would remain closed until engineers certify it safe for public access. The affected areas include both retail walkways and portions of the internal roofing structure, which suffered significant roof damage as hailstones penetrated external coverings.
Local authorities are expected to continue inspections throughout the day, focusing on structural integrity and electrical systems that may have been affected by water infiltration. Weather-related incidents of this nature are not unusual during Gauteng’s summer storm season, but early assessments suggest that the concentrated impact of hail contributed to the scale of the roof damage.
Businesses operating within the mall have been advised to remain closed until further notice. Mall management said additional updates, including estimated timelines for reopening, will be shared as soon as detailed engineering reports are finalised.
Residents and shoppers have been urged to monitor official channels for announcements.
