Plans for an American-style shopping centre in Manurewa began in the early 1960s.

Manurewa was chosen due to its increasing population, and its proximity to the industrial areas in Wiri.

[2] The major tenants of the mall at opening were Farmers, who took up a fifth of the retail space, and Woolworths supermarket.

[1] It was Auckland's third major mall after LynnMall and the Pakuranga Town Centre.

In 2016, Southmall Manurewa was nominated as one of the 'saddest' malls in New Zealand, citing a lack of development, an "uninviting and dangerous" vibe and Westfield Manukau City in the nearby vicinity attracting more appeal from shoppers.