• Last night iStore South Africa hosted an event to mark the opening of its newly revamped location at Sandton City.
• The location is in line with recently redesigned iStores in South Africa, being the third to get a facelift.
• Along with an update in aesthetics, the space will offer device training to consumers, as well as an expanded on-premise repair service for certain devices.

If you have been walking around Sandton City in recent weeks, you may have noticed a frenzy of activity at the iStore located inside the mall. Over a period of six weeks, the Sandton City iStore has undergone a facelift, and last night, the newly revamped location was opened to the public.

We were on hand at the re-opening event, snapping pictures of the new layout, as well as finding what consumers can expect from the revamp.

To that end, the space is far more spacious than previously, keeping in line with the iStore that was opened in Eastgate this April.

As such, device accessories and peripherals are located on the walls of the store, and hardware is found on display tables in the middle. The space is further broken up with iPhone devices in one portion, MacBook found centrally, iMac in another corner, Apple Watch towards the entrance, and iPad tablets scattered around a bit more randomly.

There are also empty tables found throughout the space, which are designed for retail staff to better interact with customers, as well as giving them enough real estate to demo devices or assist with any troubleshooting.

Moving forward, the Sandton City iStore will feature daily tech classes, where product experts will be detailing specific elements of devices and assisting consumers unlock features they may not have known about. These group sessions are at random and free, but one-on-one sessions are available at an estimated cost of R200 per hour.

Speaking of some of the experiences that consumers will notice in this new space, iStore South Africa CEO Chris Dodd (pictured above) says the new location is focused on interactions with customers. On top of the focus on service and interaction, there are also some new functional elements to the space, as the Sandton City iStore features an expanded repair centre. Where it was previously capable of handling iPhone screen repairs and battery replacements while customers wait, now select models of MacBook feature the same service.

Dodd also mentions that of the 33 iStores across the country, this revamped Sandton City location is the third to receive a significant facelift. He did not mention which iStore would be next to be revamped, but did note that it is something the company is actively looking at.

The CEO thanked the Apple design team too for their assistance in the space, as the lighting, tables, and other aesthetic elements are in keeping with Apple stores you may find in other parts of the globe.

Last worth mentioning are some re-opening specials that the new iStore will make available over this weekend, although Dodd did note offer up specifics, which is likely a tactic to get customers through the doors to check them out for themselves.

To check out the new space, scroll through the images posted below.