The largest mall in the Eastern Cape (EC), Baywest Mall, situated off the N2 freeway, in Port Elizabeth, officially opened its doors last month.

The mall has a footprint of 90 000 m² and shops occupying about 64 000 m² of the mall opened to the public for shopping last month, with the rest expected to open in the next three months.

The mall, a joint venture (JV) development between South African developers Abacus Asset Management and the Billion Group, has cost the JV R1.7-billion in construction, with a further R300-million dedicated to the development of the road network around the mall.

“The development we see here is the epitome of modern architecture and also a catalyst for more developments to come [in] this area,” said Baywest cochairperson Sisa Ngebulana during the opening of the mall.

He indicated that being able to see the mall in full operation, following the establishment of the JV in 2006, was a dream come true for both parties and that the mall would benefit the greater Port Elizabeth community.

Commending the work put in to establish the mall, Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle added during the opening ceremony that the mall would not only create employment for people working in the mall but also give more businesses the opportunity to provide services for the mall and the surrounding areas.

“The mall has certainly brought in winds of change to the province and is an indication of how we, as a province, will work together to alleviate poverty and create more jobs for our people. “This is a good display of what the public and private sectors can do by collaborating with each other to address societal needs,” he explained.

More than 75% of the workforce was contracted from Port Elizabeth, as subcontractor tenders were awarded to local small businesses in the city.

“About 4 000 construction workers were employed during the construction of the mall and about eight-million bricks were laid,” said Baywest cochairperson Jaco Odendaal at the opening.

He added that, as more shops were scheduled to open in the next three months, more workers were expected to be employed.

Also, Odendaal mentioned that, besides the construction of 500 residential units scheduled to begin in the next few months, a lifestyle facility was also included.

Baywest Mall is also accessible using Walker drive, in Sherwood, with eight entrances to the mall’s 3 500-car secure parking area spanning two levels. A roofed and serviced public transport node has also been built at the mall for commuters. The connection between the N2 and Cape road will be open in September.