LIMPOPO will soon have a 75000m² shopping centre in its capital city, Polokwane.

The R1,2bn Mall of the North is being developed by owners Resilient Property Income Fund, Flanagan & Gerard, and Moolman Group, and will open in the first quarter of 2011.

“Mall of the North will act as an icon for Polokwane in terms of its superb visibility, physical size, capital investment and its function from a commercial and social perspective,” says Johann Kriek, executive director of Resilient.

The project was given the green light following an appeal tribunal in December, which confirmed the rights. Earthworks for the two-level shopping centre have begun.

Kriek says the Mall of the North will be built to the most modern international standards and will compare favourably with major regional malls around the world.

Its anchor tenants include two supermarkets, Pick n Pay and Checkers, letting an area in excess of 5000m² Other anchor tenants are Edgars, Woolworths and Game.

These anchors will be supported by a Truworths Emporium of 3000m² and a variety of Foschini Group brands. Ackermans, Mr Price, Dion Wired, Incredible Connection, Clicks and DisChem will have stores in the mall, which will also have a cinema complex. The major South African banks will let about 4000m² and a food court will be complemented by a variety of coffee shops.

“The economic and social benefits Mall of the North will bring to the Limpopo and Polokwane communities will be substantial,” says Moolman Group’s Jannie Moolman.

Patrick Flanagan, of Flanagan & Gerard, says the mall will give many national retailers first-time access to the Limpopo market. This will create a broader-based retail, restaurant and entertainment offering and result in a retention of gross retail spend in Limpopo.

Source: Business Day