Over in the Namibian desert town of Walvis Bay, a mall is slowly rising out of the sand. We spoke to Atterbury’s Stewart Steyn about the progress of the long-awaited Dunes Mall.
Building started in April, which was a month ahead of schedule… what is currently happening on the site?
The construction is progressing well and we are right on schedule at the moment. The foundations are completed, columns are rising and we expect to erect the first roof during October.
Have you run into any unexpected issues during the process so far? Has the coastal desert weather been kind, or presented particular challenges?
Luckily no. All materials, such as steel, roof sheeting and paint has been specified to withstand the climate… Namibia is one of the the countries in the world with the highest corrosion rate, so we are prepared for that.
Speaking of the weather, how is the mall’s construction taking the harsh, windy conditions into consideration to make for a pleasant shopping experience?
The mall will be enclosed and air-conditioned to make it cooler during hot summer days, and also offer a haven against the wind. The food-court area will be open to the sky, but enclosed with walls to eliminate the issues of wind and dust storms.
How is the leasing going? Can you share any tenant information yet?
Leasing is progressing very well and it will be a great mix of tenants. We have tied up our anchor tenants, which include Checkers, Woolworths and Pick n Pay. Dis-Chem and Clicks will also be represented in the mall. As far as national fashion retail goes, we have concluded with or are in final negotiations with The Foschini Group, Truworths Group, MRP Group, Cape Union Mart group, Pepkor Group, Cotton On, Studio 88 and Crosstrainer. Tech and décor stores including Incredible Connection, Crazy Store and House & Home will also form part of the mix. We’ve also received offers from all four the major banks in Namibia.
We believe the workforce in Walvis Bay is already benefiting with all the new jobs created during construction, plus work for local contractors…
Indeed. Afrideca Namibia is the principal contractor and they are using a lot of local labour to assist with the concrete structure, brickwork and plastering. And of course there will be many permanent jobs once the mall opens.
When is the big opening date again?
Still a while to go, but Namibians can mark 26 October 2017 on their calendars so long!
