Eyethu Orange Farm Mall already 90% let, a full year before it opens

With an appealing mix of successful retailers guaranteed and construction progressing apace, the vision for the R400 million Eyethu Orange Farm Mall to become a successful, profitable asset for the community of Orange Farm is within reach.

The 27,000sqm regional shopping mall, midway between Johannesburg and Vereeniging, broke ground in July and will proudly open its doors in September 2014. It is ideally placed beside, and links into, Stretford Station, forming part of the new Town Square at the heart of a new vibrant central business district for Orange Farm.

Eyethu Orange Farm Mall is owned by the Orange Farm community which holds a 10% stake, facilitated by the National Empowerment Fund’s Rural & Community Development Fund unit. Its co-owners, each with a 30% stake, include the mall’s developers Stretford Land Developments and Flanagan & Gerard Investments, as well as JSE listed property company Dipula Income Fund.

Flanagan & Gerard executive director Peter Gerard says: “Strong retailer support is an important ingredient in the unique success of Eyethu Orange Farm Mall. As early as 2008 several key retailers committed to the project and the mall is still enjoying enthusiastic leasing take-up.”

Gerard adds Eyethu Orange Farm will offer a comprehensive mix of retailers and the critical mass to satisfy local customers and the seven million rail commuters using Stretford Station each year.

Gerard confirms that this landmark retail development is already 90% let, a full year before it opens.

The growing line-up of Eyethu Orange Farm shops will be led by grocery anchor retailers Shoprite and Pick n Pay, and includes a large Roots Butchery.

Chris Mawhinney, General Manager, Pick n Pay Supermarkets, Gauteng says: “Eyethu Orange Farm Mall gives Pick n Pay the opportunity to expand our presence in the area and bring our stores closer to the people, giving them what they want, where they want it. This will be a franchise operation and will add another black-owned store to our current franchise stable. Our new store, conveniently located at the train station, will give commuters fantastic convenience because they won’t have to cart their shopping from their place of work all the way home. Together with other line shops within the mall, we will provide a shopping destination for all to enjoy”.

Important banking services will be delivered to the community from ABSA, First National Bank, African Bank, Capitec, Nedbank, Standard Bank and Old Mutual.

Bringing the latest in fashionable apparel to Eyethu Orange Farm Mall is an impressive variety of South Africa’s most popular retail brands. These include Foschini, Edgars, Truworths, Identity, Markham, Total Sports, Exact!, Legit, Fashion Express, Pep, Skipper Bar, Mr Price, Ackermans, Studio 88 and Jet.

Keeping shoppers looking and feeling good, the mall’s health and beauty selection includes Link Pharmacy, Clicks, Anita’s Cosmetics and Destiny Hair.

House-proud shoppers will be spoilt for choice with Sheet Street, Fair Price Furnishers, Lewis and Pep Home.

For food on the run, Eyethu Orange Farm Mall shoppers will be able to choose from the menus of Chicken Licken, KFC, Debonairs, Fishaways and King Pie.

Specialist stores include Pep Cell, Protea Fax & Copy and Multiserv.

This exciting list of formal retailers at Eyethu Orange Farm Mall will be joined by some 50 lock-up informal trader stalls placed around the taxi rank by the City of Joburg. The Small Enterprise Finance Agency will also be underwriting around 30 SMME’s in a new collective retail initiative for the mall. This will be complemented by a Boxer Super City, Cashbuild and a KFC Drive-Thru currently existing in the new Town Square.

All this retail at Eyethu Orange Farm Mall, and the mall’s daily operation, is expected to generate around 3,000 jobs. The mall’s construction phase is creating over 2,000 jobs.