This is according to Ranga Haikali, non-executive chairman and 50% owner, Safland Property Services Namibia (SPSN)*, a property investment company managing the Frontier Property Trust fund.

He cites Grove Mall as an example of an exciting project which “together with the flourishing Maerua node, Wernhill and other retail offerings, will turn Windhoek into the most vibrant shopping capital outside South Africa,”.

Namibia Construction is the contractor currently doing the bulk earthworks on the Grove Mall site in the capital’s Kleine Kuppe suburb.

According to Safland CEO  Kallie van der Merwe, other current projects of note include the Gwashamba Mall in Ondangwa and the concluded purchase of the Shoprite Centre in that town, where Safland intends to extend the centre from 5700 m2 to 10400 m2. In addition a strategic development site in Katima Mulilo has been secured for development.

NMC Namibia and Afrideca Construction are the respective contractors in these two projects. “That will be done in partnership with people from the local community,” he said. "The developments undertaken by the Frontier Property Trust and partners will create in excess of 1000 construction job opportunities over the following two years. Potentially the completed centers will create almost 2000 sustainable retail job opportunities".

Haikali claims that "retail tourists from Africa are flocking in. Let’s open our stores and warehouses to Africa," he said.

*SPSN is a local company with majority Namibian shareholding that imported expertise from its sister-company, Safland Property Solutions in South Africa.