According to Lood Bester, a member of the developing company Arengo 89 Developers, the 8 500m² centre will boast a total of 31 tenants of whom 29 have already signed contracts. "Two contracts are still being negotiated, but we trust that every shop will be filled in time for opening day," said Bester.
Shoprite and Cash Build are the two anchor tenants. Shoprite will establish a fully fledged branch on 2 600m² of floor space and Cash Build will take up 1 500m².
Other tenants include Picardi Rebel, The R5 Store, Iwisco Multi Plex, Cell Centre, Money Tree Zone, Pie City, Fashion This World, WZ Fashion, Hot Fashion, New Look Cosmetics, Cell and Electronic World, Baby Shop, Xclusiv Fashion, Ellerines, Ritz Furnishers, Themba Furnishers, Khan's Trading (furniture), Debonairs Express, Peter's Fish and Chips, Themba Motors, Zondwa Motor Spares, a number of hair salons, butchery and a car wash. African Bank will have a branch and all the other major banks will place ATMs in the centre.
In addition to having the convenience of a shopping centre in their midst, Thembalethans will also benefit from job creation. Of the 380 permanent jobs that will be available at the centre, about 90% will be filled by locals.
Cingiswa Mtabati, project community liaison officer, expressed her satisfaction with the progress made by the building contractor, JC Joubert. "We are nearing the finish line and we have already started downsizing the construction workforce. The roof is almost 90% complete and we have begun with plastering and painting as well as with flooring and installation of general shop fitting in certain sections."
Mtabati said the employment of the permanent workforce in the shopping centre will be attended to soon. "I have been compiling a database of job seekers and to date more than 2 800 Thembalethans have registered."
The developers have undertaken to build a brand-new crèche to replace an old building which was on the property. Land near the shopping centre has been granted by the George Municipality for this purpose. Bester said they are still waiting for the land to be serviced, but in the meantime they have prepared and painted two empty classrooms at the MM Mateza Primary School to accommodate the crèche temporarily.
Thembalethu Square was designed by Boets Smuts of Smuts and De Kock Architects. It is conveniently situated next to the taxi rank on the corner of Sandkraal and Ngcakani Road. A filling station is also being planned next to the shopping centre.
The roof is almost complete.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: ALIDA DE BEER, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
