The Maponya Mall advertising campaign: "Big Mall. Big Experience. Big Time." that is visible throughout Soweto on taxis and billboards certainly got the message across as about 170 000 shoppers showed-up on 27 September 2007 to witness the opening of the mall as former president Nelson Mandela cut the ribbon and ushered in a new era of world-class shopping.
"Before, we had to go to town to buy stuff like shoes and we would spend R10 on a taxi, only to buy one item. Now it is better. You can buy it here," says Solly Hlatshwayo who is a Maponya Mall shopper, and also worked as a welder in the new mall's construction.
Independent business owners are amongst those adding local flavour to the mall's impressive array of retail giants such as Woolworths, the New Clicks Organisation, Edcon and more. Co-developers, the Maponya Group, have actively encouraged BEE participation, and as a result, the mall boasts the highest BEE tenant ratio's of any mall in the country - at 30% - with many franchise groups providing ownership opportunities for local traders.
Both independents and retail giants reported excellent performances when the mall opened, and are pleased with the performance thus far. The mall lacks nothing by way of finishes, and shoppers can, for the first time, experience a world-class shopping experience in Soweto and offers 200 shops that cater to every taste and budget. The developers, the Maponya Group and Zenprop Property Holdings, estimate that the mall will attract approximately 1.5 million shoppers per month.
The mall was the 28-year dream of Soweto's 'father of retail', Richard Maponya. His entrepreneurial spirit and contribution to business, despite the conditions under which he had to work during apartheid, earned him the title of Grand Counsellor of the Order of the Baobab in April 2007.
"When I bought the land, I believed that the people of Soweto deserved a better life," says Maponya.
It remains his fondest hope that it is the people of Soweto who will reap the most reward from the mall.
