August 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
52
The festivities and excitement of the official opening of the Gwashamba
Mall on 1 June 2103 may be a fadingmemory, but the long term socio
economic impact the N$140-million development brings to the local
economy will penetrate beyond job creation and training to include
additional value chain opportunities. It is estimated that business
through the mall will boost the local economy with a N$21-million
financial injection.
shopping malls & office developments
NMC CONSTRUCTION NAMIBIA,
main
contractor on the project, broke ground on
12 March 2012. More than 300 jobs were
created during the 13 month construction
phase, with a further 350 retail opening up
with the project’s completion.
“NMC Construction Namibia, imple-
mented skills development and training
programmes with a strong focus on bringing
long term value to the local construction
supply chain. These programmes include
mentoring programmes for local subcon-
tractors and the up-skilling of local workers.
"Ondangwa based Tommy Group, the
concrete flooring contractor, offering spe-
cialist concrete services, is the successful
outcome of the intensive training offered by
NMC’s specialist concrete flooring division
to local un-skilled labour. Tommy Group not
only cast the high quality floors of the mall,
but is currently contracted to the Keetmans-
hoop retail development,” says Dr Leake
Hangala, executive chairman, NMC Construc-
tion Namibia.
The Gwashamba Mall is strategically
located in Ondangwa, which is viewed as
the natural gateway to the northern regions,
which includes oil-rich Angola. Ondangwa,
located on the B1 highway, is rapidly expand-
ing in terms of infrastructural development
and is the only town in Northern Namibia
with international airport facilities. With a
population exceeding 9 000 there is a lot of
potential for economic growth and property
development–andthenewGwashambaMall
is one of themany exciting developments for
this burgeoning region.
The Mall (named after Queen Gwasham-
ba) was from the outset designed to be
a meeting place for the local community.
Christiaan le Roux of SLT Architects explains
that the African mall market intention of the
design brings to the town a retail facility
comparable to anything a large-city-dweller
Namibia’s flourishing retail sector
would experience (both in design and retail
offering), while at the same time creating an
environment new in level of sophistication,
yet familiar in feel and texture.
The strip mall approach incorporating
aspects of closed mall design and layout,
offers the user and retailer get the best of
bothworlds; theprotectedness, envelopment
and retail-friendly double-sided arcade layout
of a closedmall, yet the open and airy experi-
ence of an old fashioned city high street.
The Gwashamba Mall covers 11 315 m
2
and opens up 40 new shops to the local com-
munitywho nowhave access to leading retail
brands such as Shoprite, Jet Stores, Mr Price,
Foschini Markhams, Exact, Fashion Express,
Hungry Lion, Dunns, Pep Stores, Ellerines and
Clicks. The development also brings relief to
the shortage of commercial space in the fast
growing town.
“The opening of the Gwashamba Mall
comes amonth after the opening of theTown
Square Mall in Otjiwarongo. Other projects
currently in the Safland pipeline include the
Grove Mall in Kleine Kuppe, Windhoek and
another exiting project in Ondangwa. The
retail and wholesale sector is the second
largest contributor to the Namibia GDP and
these developments are indicative of the
growth within this sector, particularly in the
Northern regionswhere there is a demand for
retail rental space as a result of cross-border
trade,”says SaflandPropertyGroupCEO, Kallie
van der Merwe.
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