Gugulethu Square set to change shopping

The R350 million Gugulethu Square, the largest shopping centre in Cape Town's townships, will open for business on Thursday. Major retailers are planning special offers to mark the opening of the 30 000m2 mall, the biggest single investment in Gugulethu, which has just celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The development has been funded by a consortium comprising the IDEAS Fund, a partnership product between Old Mutual and Unity (a consortium of trade unions), Group Five, Khula Finance and Mzoli Properties.

Mzoli Ngcawuzele, of Mzoli Properties, says Gugulethu Square will be officially opened on November 28, by which time all currently signed retail tenants will have been able to settle in.

"But many retailers are geared to trade as soon as possible, and the earliest date is after October 28, when the contractors will formally hand over the development," says Ngcawuzele.

"Gugulethu Square will provide a broad-based retail, restaurant and entertainment offering, ensuring that valuable consumer spend is retained in the township. In addition to providing job and ownership opportunities, the centre will offer local residents excellent one-stop shopping facilities on their doorstep, thus curbing the need for long-distance travelling," he says. "They will have access to national chains as well as local businesses. The tenant mix includes doctors and businesses that previously traded on the development site."

Ngcawuzele says apart from smaller traders, there are two full-service anchor tenants, Shoprite and Spar. Other tenants include the Post Office, Jet Mart, Ackermans, Pep, Identity, Truworths, Exact, Fashion Express, Legit, Mr Price, Foschini, Markhams, Total Sport, Clicks, Capitec Bank, Absa, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Old Mutual, KFC, Steers, Spur, Debonairs, Morkels and Ellerines.

"The intention is to use the centre as the first step toward the establishment of a Gugulethu central business district," he says.

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