By Thokozani Mazibuko
THE construction of a state-of-the-art Manzini Mall worth E2 billion has finally begun at the Manzini Old Trade Fair. The project is expected to create more than 1,500 job opportunities for emaSwati.
The mall, which is valued at about E2 billion, will be constructed at the old Trade Fair, situated on the banks of the Mzimnene River along Ngwane Street.
The project which is expected to house approximately 183 shops is the brainchild of South Africa’s Nthwese Developments.
Some of the shops that will be at the development include Game, Woolworths, Spur, KFC, Edgars, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Markham, Mr Price, Contempo, and Chicken Licken to name a few.
The complex will be built on three levels – two will house retailers and cinemas will be located on the lower level. Another feature that is expected to be prominent will be the children’s playgrounds.
The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, officially handed over the site to the developer, Nthwese Developments, to kick-start the project.
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The handover ceremony took place on Monday morning at around 10 am.
Making his remarks during the site handover, the minister said as a ministry, they were so excited that yesterday marked the commencement of the state-of-the-art Manzini Mall shortly after His Majesty King Mswati III had cut the sod.
He mentioned that the contractor will be implementing earthworks and clearing the site. The minister added that thereafter, other stages will follow suit and the project will be complete before the end of 2025.
“We are so excited because this is a massive project that will create a lot of employment opportunities for emaSwati,” he said.
He highlighted that the contractor, Nthwese Developments has invested huge sums of money to the tune of E2 billion in the implementation of the project.
According to the minister, as a result of the construction of the state-of-the-art mall in Manzini, the city will soon assume the status of being a first-world city.
He extended his heartfelt appreciation to Nthwese Developments and the Municipal Council of Manzini for their unwavering commitment and support towards ensuring that the project becomes a huge success.
The minister further pleaded with the Manzini residents to work hand in hand with the contractor and ensure that the project was not hindered in any way.
“We are looking forward to coming back here before the end of 2025 to officially open the state-of-the-art Manzini Mall which will be fully operational by then,” Khumalo said.
Antonio Sousa, Nthwese Developments Development Manager said they are ready to hit the ground running. He mentioned that they anticipate that the project will be complete by October 2025.
“We believe that this will be a very good and smooth journey,” he said.
The minister pointed out that their plan during the first phase of the project was to clear the site and make sure that all the old structures within the site were safe.
“We have a site clearing implementation plan which will be implemented by the contractor on site now.
Soon after that, we will have the main contractor coming in and at the same time, we will have all the bulbs being installed.
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That is the little programme that we have for now, comprising three components and the idea is to see them happening in succession to each other,” he said.
From an employment perspective, they were looking forward to employing between 600 and 750 people on-site at any given time, excluding casuals and day labourers.
He said this would just be direct employment but once the mall has been opened, they would employ between 1000 and 1 500 people.
The Developer said from the economic perspective, their developments have always been the type that gets the development of a country unlocked.
He said everywhere they went to build a shopping centre, they started with offices, and other types of buildings that contribute towards the development of a country.
