An artists illustration of how the Bambanani Shopping Mall will look in Diepsloot
A new 18 000 m2 single-level semi-enclosed shopping mall in Diepsloot West, Gauteng, opened to the public on Thursday.
The R250-million Bambanani Shopping Mall was developed by black-owned property development and management company Nthwese Developments.
Construction started in June 2016 and was only expected to finish in March 2018.
Nthwese Developments MD Herbert Theledi tells Engineering News Online that the project was completed within budget and encountered no major challenges during development and construction.
The mall is aimed at serving the Diepsloot West community with an enhanced retail offering that is “closer to home”. It is especially developed to meet the retail requirements of individuals in the low- to middle-income bracket, in line with Living Standards Measure 1 to 4.
In this regard, anchor tenants include food retailer Shoprite with a floor area of 3 000 m2, hardware retailer Cashbuild with a floor area of 1 200 m2, a 600 m2 medical centre and various furniture, fashion and food stores.
The development of the mall has also enhanced road access in a key entry and exit point of Diepsloot, as well as improved general access to bulk infrastructure facilities, such as water and electricity.
As part of the rezoning agreement approved by the City of Johannesburg, Nthwese Developments was required to ensure these bulk infrastructure facilities were developed to meet the requirements of a large retail mall, as well as improve access to infrastructure for the local community.
In this regard, Theledi said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided assistance through a community infrastructure grant, under the DTI’s Critical Infrastructure Programme.
“The DTI’s assistance is aimed at helping communities with severe bulk infrastructural shortages.”
With the DTI’s assistance package, Nthwese Developments was able to develop and upgrade all bulk infrastructure, thereby resulting in a quicker approval of zoning rights and permission to commence construction.
Nthwese Developments was established in 1993 with expertise spanning a range of building sectors, including retail, office and residential developments.