The latest, Rosehill Mall in Port Alfred, opening on November 27, is a groundbreaking venture that brings top grade retail to this corner of the Eastern Cape for the first time.

Gerhardt Jooste, MD of Cape-based national development company Prosperito, involved in both the R140m Port Alfred project as well as the enormous R360m Fountains Mall in Jeffreys Bay, said the malls and their surrounding development represented a gigantic step for the seaside centres, both of which were showing strong growth.

In its first week of trading, more than 100 000 shoppers were recorded at the Fountains Mall, which abuts the R1.5 billion Jubilee Golf Estate where a R250 million retirement village has now also been released for sale.

Rosehill Mall is part of the Rosehill Estate, a spectacular 74ha site on the coast at Port Alfred, that will eventually accommodate a total of 456 housing units. The mall has been tenanted by South Africa’s top retailers, and stores include a 3 000 m2 Super Spar anchor store, Woolworths, Truworths, Foschini, Markham, Miladies, Sportscene, Ackermans, Clicks Pharmacy, American Swiss Jewellers, Tekkie Town and the Crazy Store.  A large 320 m2 combination store of Roxy, Quiksilver and DC, has the added excitement of a built-in halfpipe structure for use by skateboarders.

The mall will be, says Jooste, one of the highest rated ‘green’ projects of its kind in South Africa, and emphasis is laid on conservation and sustainability.   Energy-saving measures include an overlapping open-sided roof structure over the central walkway, allowing a natural flow of fresh air to the mall to remove hot air. This, together with transparent roof panels transmitting natural light, saves on electricity usage.  Run-off rainwater from the building’s roof will be stored in tanks for re-use.
 
The mall is also intended to delight visitors with its innovative interior designs.  The 25 giant, fully-grown palm trees down the main walkway of the mall are part of a specially created beach setting that includes sea sand, a decorative water feature, and an outlook over the ocean only a short distance away. For after-dark enchantment, the roof vault at one end of the mall has lighting designed to create the effect of a starlit night.

The opening heralds the beginning of festive celebrations that Jooste says will be unequalled, with the four-day presence of the Eastern Cape’s famous Popsi the Clown and partner Hobi, with their amazing entourage that includes the talking Popsi Car, the Joy Train and quadbikes that will be at the service of all the small people who visit the mall.

Also on the cards for the opening and ongoing at the mall, is a monthly farmers’ market where organic local produce will be sold, as well as the presence of local crafters and artists showing their skills and products, and an exhibition by all safari and game farms in the area. The regional radio station’s outside broadcast unit, Algoa Hitmobile is scheduled to be on site on December 16.

Prosperito’s other Eastern Cape projects, aside from the Fountains Mall and the Jubilee Lakes Niklaus Design Golf Estate in Jeffreys Bay, are the Lighthouse site at the Boardwalk Casino in Port Elizabeth, and the conversion of the Grand Hotel in Grahamstown into a university student residence.
        
In another development, only weeks before the Fountain’s Mall was opened, the developers announced a R140 million second phase for the mall well ahead of schedule, to expand the current 32 000 m2 of trail space by another 10 000 m2.

‘The Eastern Cape is fulfilling its promise, and our investment in the region reflects a very real confidence in its sustained growth,’ said Jooste.

Rosehill Mall has been developed by a consortium of Prosperito, and local businessmen Tom Coombs and Kobus Smit.