Residents of the township will have shops catering for a wide variety of requirements right on their doorstep. Thembalethu Square is conveniently situated adjacent to the taxi rank on the corner of Sandraal and Ngcakani Road.
The 8 500m² centre, designed by Boets Smuts of Smuts and De Kock, will offer 24 shops in addition to two anchor tenants, Shoprite and Cash Build. Shoprite will establish a full-fledged branch on 2 600m² of floor space. Cash Build will take up 1 500m².
African Bank will also have a branch and all the other major banks will place ATMs in the centre.
Other tenants include Picardi Rebel, R5 Store, Pie City, Fashion World, New Look Cosmetics, Ellerines, Khan Trading (furniture), Debonairs Pizza, Peter's Fish and Chips, a number of hair salons, a butchery and cellphone shops. A car dealer and motor spares supplier are to run their businesses on the basement level.
Job creation
Thembalethans themselves will benefit from job creation stemming from the project. According to Louis van Rensburg, a member of the developing company Arengo 89 Developers, about 380 permanent jobs will be created at the centre and 90% of these will be filled by locals. During the construction phase, many more opportunities have been created, and Thembalethans have to be employed according to a condition of the building contract. JC Joubert is the builder.
The community will furthermore gain a brand-new crèche donated by the developers, replacing the old building which was on the property. Land near the shopping centre has been granted by the George Municipality for this purpose.
Background
A shopping centre for Thembalethu was on the cards six years ago when the municipality sold the land via tender to another developer, but the development never got off the ground. "Arengo bought the land from the previous owner. We consulted with the community through ward councillors, the Ncedo Taxi Association and other role players in the community. The project was received positively from the word go," said Van Rensburg.
A filling station in which Ncedo has a share, is also being planned next to Thembalethu Square.
Speaking on behalf of the community, public relations officer Luyanda Sikhundla welcomed the investment in the township. "The living standard of people here will rise because we will have a wide variety of services in our midst. It is expensive to travel to the CBD and mall for all our business and shopping. Once the filling station opens, more than 200 taxis and many other vehicle owners will also be spared trips elsewhere to fill up. I believe that property value will be enhanced and what's more, we are glad for the jobs that are created."
A local lady, Cingiswa Mtabati, was appointed as the project manager. She hopes that the development will change business people's mindset about Thembalethu, which is regarded as being a high risk area. "We want people to open up their minds and realise that anyone can do business anywhere, that it is a misconception that certain business ventures are for white people and others for black people.
Once the centre is doing business, more opportunities are sure to be opening up for Thembalethans."
Bes Bezuidenhout, chairman of the George CBD committee, said that they did not oppose a shopping centre being established in Thembalethu. "It is so difficult for those residents to get to town. It is only fair for them to have shops nearby. Our problem was with the Eden Meander development."
The committee had been up in arms about the approval of the Eden Meander shopping centre near the Garden Route Mall, which they had felt would bleed life out of the town centre.
A compromise has however been reached recently between the committee and Eden Meander's developers, which appeased feelings in the CBD.
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A section of the new shopping centre. The building is already roof height. The projected opening is 1 September. Photo: Alida de Beer
ARTICLE: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
