New 30,000 square metre shopping mall under construction in South Africa

The Princess Mkabayi Mall is currently under construction in the KwaZulu-Natal hinterland.

The 30,000 sqm development will be owned by the Moolman Group, Twin City, JB Holdings, and Green Giraffe and will be based in Vryheid, with an expected opening in October 2024.

The Moolman Group, which is also set to open The Greenery later this month, said that the retail facility intends to meet the needs of a currently under-supplied catchment, with Vryheid chosen due to the influx of people into the town and the limited supply of services in other regions.

The mall’s brochure said that most of Vryheid’s retail activities do not cater to convenience, with most stores situated in the CDB and the main material road, Kerk Street.

The current offerings are also mainly located in small centres and street-front retail, with the Bloemnel and Vryheid Spar Centres the most attractive centres in the area.

“Our initial engagement has shown strong retailer demand and support, and we have made significant leasing progress,” the Moolman group said.

The development’s site also gives it good visibility and ease of access, as it is only 1.7km south of the Vryheid CBD and is close to schools and both townships in Vryheid.

“The R69 from Pongola, R34 from Paul Pietersburg, and R33 from Newcastle drive macro access in all directions,” Mollman added.

“The above predicts the success of Princess Mkabayi Mall as a sought-after and convenient shopping destination which will include an entertainment node, a fresh, new place for togetherness, and a mix of much-needed modern conveniences and facilities.”

According to the mall’s brochure, it will feature the following stores (with space for more tenants):

• Shoprite
• Checkers
• Dis-Chem
• Woolworths with a food offering
• Pick n Pay Clothing
• Clicks
• Cape Union Mart
• Old Khaki
• Crazy Plastics
• Crazy Store
• Mr Price
• Mr Price Home
• Mr Price Sport
• Nedbank
• Capitec
• Absa
• FNB
• Foschini
• Truworths
• Markham
• Exact
• The Fix
• Jet
• Pep

The mall will feature a large entertainment space and play area for children. It will also feature a central taxi rank and over 800 free open parking spots.

Ryno de Leeuw from Twin City added that the mall will be solar-powered and equipped with a generator to minimise the effects of load shedding. An on-site water plant will also be used for the irrigation system of its gardens

Images of the mall can be found below:

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