LEGO South Africa has kicked off a unique event in the Mall of Africa in the form of the LEGO Vehicles Extravaganza, am interactive play space for kids and adults alike that will be active inside of the shopping centre from now until 14th July 2024.
We visited the activation this morning in the centre court of the Mall of Africa to see what was on offer. The activation is part of LEGO’s multi-month campaign around a shared love for racing and the incredible engineering that goes into cars and other vehicles.
You may have already seen many car-focused LEGO sets on sale recently and this is why.
To kick off the event we heard from Miroslav Říha, country manager for The LEGO Group in South Africa.
“I was introduced as the country manager but I also wanted to talk about some other roles I feel are very important. I am a big LEGO fan, obviously, and I am a big cars and racing enthusiast so this is all such a great fit for me… Whenever I visit [friends or family with kids] I will usually bring a Speed Champions set for them and seeing the passion and sparkle in the eyes of those kids is always so rewarding and we also see that from kids attending this event today,” Říha says.
“Racing is one of the biggest passions for both kids and adults in South Africa but parents who buy racing LEGO sets for their kids usually don’t think about doing the same for themselves. When my friends or family see some of the amazing sets we have, well, let’s just say that they’re already building more shelves for all their sets. LEGO, like racing, can connect both kids and adults as a shared hobby and it’s something we should nurture and build on for the future.”
You can see Říha pictured in the gallery below, next to a LEGO brick mascot. You can also see some pictures we took of the event.
So what can visitors expect when visiting? Well firstly this is a free activity so parents and kids need to simply come to the large stand and register at the door. There they will be given a “driver’s licence” with room for stickers which they are given after completing an activity.
These activities are:
- Training: A simulated pitstop to change the wheels and tyres on a LEGO racing car.
- Trivia: LEGO and racing questions on an electronic board.
- Garage: Creation of a custom vehicle using a large amount of available pieces.
- Race: A downhill race using the cars made in the Garage activity (think of the Garage and Race activities like a LEGO version of a pinewood derby).
- Free Build: Freedom to build whatever using a different open LEGO table.
Each of the events are fun and easy enough to do, even for younger kids. The Race section is timed with the fastest going on the leader board and spot prizes available.
Aside from activities it is also enjoyable to walk around the stand and see some completed LEGO sets on display and, in total, we think people will be quite entertained for 20 or 30 minutes depending on how long they want to take with the Free Build activity.
With free entry and so much to do the only “downside” is the inspiration to go and buy more LEGO, but that is actually cheaper this weekend.
LEGO fan expo, double VIP points and sales
While the LEGO Vehicles Extravaganza is open until the middle of the month, there is a more limited-time event happening at the Mall of Africa.
This is a LEGO Expo featuring custom creations from the jhbLUG. A LEGO User Group (LUG) is a group of fans who are recognised by LEGO for activities such as outreach, meetings, group build projects, reviews and exhibitions where the public can view what the group has put together.
This expo is one of these exhibitions and it is free to attend. Just head to the Mall of Africa this weekend (6th and 7th July 2024) specially the centre court near the LEGO Certified Store.
If you’ve never been to one of these events and you’re unsure if it’s for you, check out our article here about a another recent LUG expo that was held in Sandton City in April.
It’s a lot of fun even for casual fans and, of course, kids will love it. The combination of the expo and the LEGO Vehicles Extravaganza during the same weekend makes a trip to Mall of Africa all the more enticing.
For those who actually want to buy some LEGO to take home, the aforementioned Certified Store (also located in the Mall of Africa centre court) is offering double VIP points on all purchases made during the weekend. VIP points are the loyalty system offered by Certified Stores and you can find a further explanation of this in our guide to buying LEGO in South Africa.
On top of this many sets based on vehicles are sale right now in conjunction with the LEGO Vehicles Extravaganza, and you earn double VIP points on top of the lower price.
