Orange Farm gets R400m Shopping Mall
Eyethu Orange Farm Mall, located between Joburg and Vereeniging opened its doors last week Tuesday.
Just in time for the festive season shopping rush, the eagerly-awaited 27,000sqm, R400 million regional Eyethu Orange Farm Mall opened its doors last week Tuesday.
Located midway between Johannesburg and Vereeniging - broke ground last year in June.
The Mall is 10% owned by its community, through the Orange Farm Community Trust, and is set to transform Orange Farm into a booming central business district.
Together with the community’s 10% stake, facilitated by the National Empowerment Fund, Eyethu Orange Farm Mall co-owners are developers Flanagan & Gerard Investments and Stretford Land Developments and JSE-listed REIT Dipula Income Fund, each of which hold 30% of the mall’s ownership.
The centre marks the creation of a regional retail mall which is connected with different modes of public transport including rail.
Paul Gerard, Managing Director of Flanagan & Gerard Investments, says: “Eyethu Orange Farm Mall is no ordinary mall. It is a shopping centre more deeply rooted in its community than any other in South Africa, and each tenant here is not only committed to the mall, but is also demonstrating its confidence in this community.”
Izak Petersen, CEO of Dipula Income Fund, said: “We are thrilled to be invested in this quality asset, which epitomises both innovation and inspiration. Our investment is playing a key role in bringing much-needed access to top-quality retail for this community.”
Mziwabantu Dayimani, General Counsel of the National Empowerment Fund added the: “The Mall is partly owned by the Orange Farm Community Trust, which holds a 10% stake thanks to R50 million in funding facilitated by the National Empowerment Fund’s Rural & Community Development Fund unit. The social impact of the project has been meaningful. The project promises approximately 1500 permanent jobs, while 2000 jobs were supported during the construction phase.”
The benefit from the trust’s stake is intended for constructing special needs projects such as centres for development, learning, safety or care. The projects will be decided by the Orange Farm Community Trust, whose Trustees are volunteers elected by the community.
Shoppers will have choice from South Africa’s most popular retailers including large grocery anchor retailers Shoprite and Pick n Pay, as well as a large Roots Butchery.
The mall will also provide space for informal traders by means of a Traders Square.
Protest at mall opening
Orange Farm residents barricaded roads and burnt tyres demanding jobs at the opening of a new mall in the area, Gauteng police said on Wednesday.
Captain Johannes Mophiri said about 80 people were protesting for jobs, outside the mall. They had submitted their CVs to the mall's management but only a selected group were hired.
"The mall management said they received 10,000 CVs but were only looking for 1500."
He said management decided to keep the rest of the CVs for future posts which may become available.
The protests began around 4am. The roads leading to the mall were barricaded with stones, rocks, burning tyres and tree stumps.
A fight broke out between a protester and a security guard. They were both arrested for assault.
"The protesters wanted to push the gates open to enter the mall premises."
The crowd had dispersed by 7pm, Mophiri said.
Police monitored the mall on Tuesday and on Wednesday.
