Johannesburg - The Pearl Walk boutique shopping mall in Umhlanga, which is being developed at a cost of R125 million as part of the multibillion-rand Pearls of Umhlanga development, is set to open its doors to shoppers in November.
Construction on the 12 500m² mall, the first boutique mall in Umhlanga, commenced in January last year. The mall will have almost 50 stores and will be open to both the owners and residents of the Pearls of Umhlanga and the general public.
Neil Cocker, the leasing agent at Pearl Walk, said the mall had generated demand from some of the country’s biggest brands and more than 96 percent of the high-end mall already had tenants.
Cocker said Food Lovers Market had been confirmed as the anchor tenant.
“To complement the exclusivity of the mall, this will be the flagship store with a new look contemporary design,” he said.
Other retailers that have confirmed their occupancy include Levisons, Tititi Boutique, Planet Fitness, Lupa and Boost Juice Bar.
Pearl Walk forms part of Pearl Sky, the fifth and final phase of The Pearls of Umhlanga.
Pearl Sky will add a further 420 new residential apartments to the 260 apartments that already exist in The Pearls of Umhlanga development.
Occupation of the apartments in Pearl Sky will commence towards the end of next year.
Cocker said Pearl Walk would not only offer residents of the resort unlimited access to a host of additional amenities on its doorstep but also add value to residents of Umhlanga and the thousands of tourists who flock their each year.
Sudhir Pragjee, a director of The Pearls of Umhlanga Development, added that the opening of Pearl Walk would undoubtedly be a major boost for the whole Umhlanga area.
“While this area unarguably offers the best in terms of its seaside location and upscale residential developments, there is nothing like Pearl Walk.
“Umhlanga is considered one of the most affluent areas in the country, and the opening of a boutique mall of this calibre is definitely long overdue.
“Pearl Walk will offer both residents and customers high-end products and services that one would normally find in a regional mall but in a smaller, more exclusive setting. Pearl Walk, like The Pearls of Umhlanga, will be upmarket, visually appealing and an overarching asset to the area,” he said.
A reconfiguration to increase the number of apartments in Pearl Sky had resulted in 41 sea-facing apartments in Pearl Sky, located from the 26th floor upwards, recently being released for sale.
Pragjee said all the apartments in the development had now been released for sale and the construction schedule for Pearl Sky was well on track.
BUSINESS REPORT