Roy Cokayne
Leading South African property investment and development company Atterbury is developing Namibia’s largest single commercial property development in Windhoek together with Demashuwa Properties and Safland Property Group at a cost of R1.3 billion.
James Ehlers, the managing director of Atterbury Property Developments, said the 54 000m2 Mall of Namibia: The Grove in Windhoek would comprise three levels of appealing shopping, dining and entertainment.
Ehlers said that The Grove would open in September next year, launching Namibia’s dominant retail shopping centre.
It will be located at the heart of the Hilltop mixed-use estate in Windhoek’s fastest-growing node, Klein Kuppe.
This mixed-use estate will include a hotel, offices, apartments, a medical centre and a health and fitness centre. Mall of Namibia: The Grove has already secured Game, Shoprite, Woolworths, Edgars and Spar stores as anchor tenants and its retail neighbours include Food Lover’s Market and Metro, creating an exciting retail precinct in Namibia’s capital city.
Other tenants already signed include Truworths, Dis-Chem, Jet, Tekkie Town, Pep, Ackermans, Jay Jay’s, Legit, Sportsmans Warehouse, Rhapsody’s, Vida E, Clicks, Spar, Cappuccino’s and Wimpy.
Cobus van Heerden, the retail director at Atterbury Property Developments, said the development had been greeted with enthusiastic retailer interest for its 126 stores, with most South African retailers already represented in Namibia lining up to trade at Mall of Namibia: The Grove.
“Several retail brands have also chosen to make their Namibian debut at the mall. There is also keen interest from Namibian retailers,” Van Heerden said.
“Besides being a valuable retail asset for Namibia and a major tourist attraction, The Grove will boost the local economy with valuable employment generation.”
Direct employment opportunities for 700 people would be created during the centre’s construction and once open, retailers and centre operations would create between 1 200 and 1 500 permanent employment opportunities.
The design of the mall is a collaboration between South African firm Boogertman Architects and Namibia’s Howard and Chamberlain.
It provides ample, secure parking on all three retail levels, is easy to reach from almost every suburb in Windhoek and has easy access to two international airports serving the capital city.