International Council of Shopping Centers seeks African growth

Belinda Clur, a Cape Town-based member of both the North American and European research groups, has accepted the ICSC invitation to launch and chair the African research group.

NEW YORK – The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), on Tuesday announced that it is had launched an African research group to help its membership tap into the economic growth potential across the continent.

ICSC, the global trade association for the shopping centre industry, said this was the sixth regional research group launched. Others focus on North America, Europe and the Far East.

Clur Research International MD, Belinda Clur, a Cape Town-based member of both the North American and European research groups, has accepted the ICSC invitation to launch and chair the African research group.

“Because of her knowledge of ICSC research structures and operations and her own professional focus on developments across Africa, Ms. Clur is well placed to lead this initiative,” said Michael P. Niemira, director of research and chief economist for ICSC.

The proposed main aim of the group is to create a network of pan-African shopping centre,  retail property and financial industry members to promote pan-African retail research, guide best practices and provide the ICSC with strategic direction and advice on industry issues and research initiatives that are specific to the African context.

Ms. Clur believes the group will serve a highly valuable role for the ever increasing number of shopping centre investors and retailers pioneering into what are often uncharted territories across Africa

"Given the alignment with and the support of the existing ICSC research groups, an added benefit will be an in-depth perspective of the dynamics of both emerging and developed economies, ” she said.

“Africa clearly represents a unique growth opportunity for retail real estate professionals, and this new research group is part of our initiative to support the industry in Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to our plans for education and attracting retailers to the region,” said Michael Morrissey, ICSC’s managing director, responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa.