Thousands of Lenasia people flocked to the R450-million Trade Route Mall, which opened its doors on Thursday.
Gauteng Finance MEC Paul Mashatile officially opened the upmarket mall - a first for the area.
The centre boasts national retail chains like Pick 'n Pay, Woolworths, Ackermans, Edgars, Totalsports, Markhams, Foschini, Truworths, Musica and Clicks.
Spokesman Rishda Omar said more than 75,000 people had streamed through the doors on Thursday alone.
The development is a joint venture between the Investec Property Group and Lenasia businessmen Ismail Valli and Sayed Mia.
The opening of the mall is seen as something of a victory for Valli and Mia, who tried to get the project off the ground more than 20 years ago.
Mia said they initially battled to secure the land because of strict bylaws imposed during the apartheid years that essentially prohibited people of colour from owning industrial land.
"This project became a possibility because of the new democracy. The positive attitude shown by the present government made the processes faster and easier."
He said more than 3,000 permanent jobs had been created on top of employment created during construction.
"This mall is a testament to the struggles of our people and shows that we are all now getting equal opportunities to flourish and grow our country economically and socially."
Omar, meanwhile, said the mall boasted a home decor section and another area had been allocated to more than 40 small businesses.
"Trade Route Mall's architectural treatment is unique. It measures 4,000m² and provides the community with a one-stop shopping facility they never had before," she said.
While the mall had attracted the big national retail chains, more than 50% of the stores were owned by independent traders.
Another feature, she said, was the cinema complex - owned by the Avalon Group - boasting six theatres.
Avalon's Aboobaker "AB" Moosa said his company had been planning to open a cinema in Lenasia for years.
"We had earmarked this centre about 10 years ago when we started talking to the developers," he said.
To cater for the large Muslim community in Lenasia, a prayer room has been built, designed to accommodate up 39 people.
Sunday Times
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
