New state-owned shopping mall opens in South Africa
Isipingo Mall has been opened by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, which forms part of the upgrades made by PRASA of the Isipingo Train Station.
Creecy opened the mall in the train station, unveiled the 300th sitimela Sabantu (The People’s Train) and a major renewable energy project.
Creecy said that as South Africa rebuilds its rail system, PRASA must also rebuild the communities that depend on it.
“The Isipingo Mall is a shining example of how PRASA’s property portfolio can drive urban renewal and create new economic hubs that directly benefit local residents,” she said.
The development forms part of PRASA’s secondary mandate strategy to revitalise key economic nodes and unlock the commercial potential of properties surrounding its rail network.
The centre covers 7,000 sqm of lettable retail area to be utilised by 45 shops, a Centre Manager Office, Public Ablution facilities, banks & ATM’s, a Food Court and 304 parking bays.
Tenants for the mall include a SuperSpar, KFC, Rage, the Scent Lab, Clicks, Standard Bank, FNB, Telkom and more.
During construction, the project created roughly 271 jobs, providing vital income and skills training for artisans.
Now in its operational phase, the mall is expected to generate over 150 more permanent jobs in retail, facilities management and community services.
Creecy said that opportunities are already helping local families secure stable incomes and contribute to the economic vitality of eThekwini.
She added that the development embodies PRASA’s secondary commercial mandate to generate revenue via its property assets.
These property assets are designed to benefit communities and support the financial sustainability of the rail network.
A while to open
“By investing in developments like Isipingo Mall, PRASA demonstrates that public infrastructure can be financially viable, socially impactful, and community-oriented all at once,” said Creecy.
She added that none of the achievements of the development would have been possible without strong partnerships, including those with the private sector and the surrounding community.
“Each of the projects, from the solar installations to the new trains and the Isipingo Mall, are a direct reflection of the true ethos of South Africa, the spirit of Ubuntu: working together to uplift one another,” they said.
“Through these partnerships, we are laying the tracks for a transport system that does more than move people; it transforms lives.
Notably, the mall only opened four years after construction had been finished on the mall by its contractors.
The mall was finalised in March 2021 following two years of construction in a contract worth just R375 million.
The developers, GVK-Siya Zama, constructed a retail development over a live railway station, creating 24,000 sqm of retail and parking space.
One of the many challenges faced by the developers was erecting the superstructure over live power lines and an active commuter station.
The opening of the mall came after several troubling years for PRASA, where its rail network was impacted by vandalism following COVID-19 and poor commuter numbers.
The state-owned entity is starting to recover across its rail network, having seen an over 600% rise in customer numbers compared to 2020.
Given the relatively cheaper price of using rail, PRASA continues to see an improvement in its customer numbers.
Images of the Isipingo Development
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