Property developer Pan Africa DevCo announced on Wednesday that it will build a 16 000 m² shopping center in the Alexandra township, as part of the 'Presidential Alexandra' renewal project.

The Pan Africa shopping center which will be built in the township where South Africa's new President, Kgalema Motlanthe, was born, will be the first shopping center with a fully-integrated taxi facility in the country.

The center, which is being developed in a public-private partnership between the Gauteng Department of Housing, the Department of Public Transport, roads and Works, the City of Johannesburg and Pan Africa DevCo, will open in March next year, the developers said.

It forms part of a larger retail and taxi node including a 50 000 m² taxi rank, a three-level holding facility for taxis, public parking and structured informal trading.

The combined retail offering in the node will exceed 40 000 m², which is equivalent to that of a regional shopping mall.

"Pan Africa shopping center will both improve the quality of life of the people of Alexandra and create jobs, opportunities and sustainable businesses, which will further be boosted by attracting visitors to this exciting shopping landmark," said Alexandra Renewal project deputy director Darlene Louw.

The shopping center's tenants will comprise 80% local retailers and food brands. A large number of these retailers will be represented in the township for the first time.

"Pan Africa Shopping Center represents the dreams and aspirations of the Alexandra people. We are developing it for them," said Pan Africa DevCo spokesperson Tebogo Mogashoa.

He added that the integration of the shopping center into a busy transport hub was a challenging aspect of the project, "but also most satisfactory as it has meant that we have been able to create an incredibly convenient shopping experience for consumers".

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