Iconic township gets its first mall

Despite the economic downturn and remaining service delivery problems, – such as the housing backlog in most of South Africa’s major urban centres – the signs of progress and the changing face of a country restructuring itself after the end of apartheid can also be seen.

Clear evidence of this is the opening of a new multi-use and integrated mall, housing branches of most of South Africa’s major retail chains, and which has opened for business in one of the most notorious black townships from the apartheid era – Alexandra, immediately north of Johannesburg.

With it came substantial investment, jobs and convenience to the residents of a township that for many years had hanging over it the sword of forced removals under the Group Areas Act.

The Pan Africa Shopping Centre, which was open officially in May this year by President Jacob Zuma, is South Africa’s fully integrated shopping mall and taxi facility. It is located in the heart of Alexandra’s iconic transport and retail node.

“Alexandra is home to many leaders of the ANC,” Zuma said. “We can count leaders like Kgalema Motlanthe, Alfred Nzo, Thomas Nkobi and many more who were residents of this township. [It] has given this country expertise and talent.”

However, while the township was well known for resistance actions such as the Alexandra bus boycott, “from today, Alex must be known for development and progress,” added Zuma.

The Pan Africa Shopping Centre is part of the Presidential Alexandra Renewal Project as is being developed by Pan Africa DevCo, a developmental company established by Tebfin Developments in partnership with local entrepreneurs and the two main taxi associations in Alexandra – the Alexandra Taxi Association (ATA) and the Alexandra Randburg Midrand Sandton Taxi Association (Armsta).

The development was also undertaken as a public-private partnership between DevCo and the Gauteng Department of Housing, the departments of Public Transport, Roads and Works and the Department of Finance and Economic Affairs and the City of Johannesburg.

Infrastructure

President  Zuma said all townships needed to have infrastructure such as the Pan Africa Shopping Centre, and basic services like water, roads and electricity.

The shopping centre would be a catalyst for employment among ekasi – the slang term for township residents – and people would be able to shop “right on their doorstep”.

“One can walk to the township and buy a suit without spending any transport money,” Zuma said. “Parents working at the centre can now spend quality time with their children. Before the opening of the centre, parents only had a chance to see their children over weekends because they had to wake up very early and knock off very late when their children were already asleep.

“This is a celebration of investment in the city of Johannesburg. But this is not only a celebration of investment, but what we are seeing today is urban renewal and rejuvenation,” he added.

In the south of the city, a similar kind of development had taken place, he said, referring to Maponya Mall in Soweto.

“During the opening of the mall, Richard Maponya said we had taken Sandton and placed it in Soweto. This shopping centre is part of developing our townships and also part of empowering our people.”

The centre

Tebogo Mogashoa, CEO of Pan Africa Development Company, said the 16 000m² shopping centre was already fully let and more than 1 000 jobs had been created.

“Pan Africa Shopping Centre represents the dreams and aspirations of the Alexandra people,” he said. “We developed it for them”.

Falling under the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP), a programme to upgrade infrastructure and living conditions in one of Johannesburg’s oldest townships, the Pan Africa Shopping Centre forms part of a comprehensive retail and taxi node that includes a 50 000m² taxi rank, a three-level holding facility for taxis, public parking and structured informal trading.

It is anchored by a 2 800m² Pick n Pay store, the first in Alexandra. Other national retailers have also taken space, providing a quality shopping environment structured along the lines of leading shopping centres in the country, according to the developers.

The Pan Africa Shopping Centre is located in one of the busiest and most cosmopolitan areas of Alexandra, with a plethora of informal traders and an assortment of shops selling a range of goods from traditional medicine to exclusive boutique clothing.

Besides the Pan Africa Shopping Centre, Zuma said Alexandra boasted some other economic and social developments. Quality schools, houses and infrastructure had been built since the inception of the ARP. “Surely but slowly, we are changing the face of our townships,” he said.

Source: www.joburg.org.za