PHAKALANE TURNS THIRTY
A world class surbub in Gaborone has been 30 years in the making
The story of Phakalane is a fascinating dream that started thirty years ago. Thirty years ago, a title deed was handed over in what would today become Phakalane Estates.
Hearing this story, it feels like hearing the story of how a master weaver started working on weaving their dream blanket and with time, kept on twerking and adding new dimensions to this blanket. Eventually breathing new life into this design/ pattern, until it has evolved into something big. The same story with Phakalane.
Since that first title deed, the owners of Phakalane have tirelessly worked with an array of many local leaders, entrepreneurs, architects, engineers, and creatives to make Phakalane what it is today. On Friday, the media had a chance to hear and experience the beauty and intricacies of Phakalane in a whole new way. The occasion sought to celebrate the three decades of Phakalane and offer the media with a glimpse of the blood, sweat and tears that have turned this suburb into one of a kind in Botswana. This included a tour of the suburb, new developments that have recently broken ground in the residential as well as industrial spaces, and the retail and commercial investments largely centred around Acacia Mall. With celebrations in the air, guests were also treated to the lavish Phakalane Wedding Fair and golfing lessons at the driving range of the 18- hole PGA standard course. The Wedding Fair, which was open to the Public with free entrance was the go- to destination for anyone planning their special day and keen to see what Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel & Convention Centre has to offer from a venue and hosting perspective. Proprietors displaying their services in collaboration with Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel & Convention Centre included David Cliff Studios, His Image Photography, Nsala Creations, Lucrane Concepts, Dolly Events and Just Cakes and Events, to name a few. Beyond the vast location, and just hearing all about how the many phases/ blocks were added during this media tour, there is something much more beautiful. The beauty of this location is how once one goes deeper, and ventures into other parts of the suburb, they get to see architecture in its entirety. The architecture of this place is just mind blowing. Almost nothing is ordinary here, that is when you venture deeper into ‘ Phaks’. It almost feel like this is a Sandton or Beverly Hills. You have houses that at a distance appear ‘ ordinary’ but as soon as you approach them, you see a different dimension to the houses. You have houses that have been built on more than one plot. An astronomical mini palace that is almost the size of one of the Conference venues in town. The mini palace has been built in more than ten plots of land. This house and the many others represent the open canvas that the suburb has given not only to this owner but to many others, who get to transform their dreams into a reality. This is testament to how the Magang family sought to create more than just land development. For them, it was a way of life, dreams realised and business grown. Phakalane was established thirty years ago by David Magang, and his company started with four employees in 1991 with an investment of P18 million. Incredibly, today Phakalane boasts of a staff compliment of over 160, and its portfolio comprises of a number of leading investments and properties in retail, commercial, residential and industrial. According to Subramaniam Parthiban, Group CEO of Phakalane Estates, thirty years ago, they broke ground on a dream to provide a wellcoordinated infrastructure development and town planning consultancy services to assist clients identify, prepare and deliver large- scale mixed- use schemes; and to coordinate various planning and management requirements for both large and small scale projects. He explains that their purpose guides them at every turn: which is to deliver the dream across a wide array of specialties for and with Batswana in the spaces of Retail/ Commercial, Residential and Industrial, and in Town Planning and Infrastructure Development; and Property Development. “Thirty years later, we continue to build brighter futures and deliver the dream for and with Batswana,” he said. He also highlighted that Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel & Convention Centre has recently undergone significant refurbishment, particularly to the conference and dining spaces in the last year. This refurbishment has kind of grown their product offering. And today, they can certainly host any event from your small to big events that might not have been held here before. An increase in the conference centres also means that they can host bigger delegations.
“Though open to guests for bookings, the refurbishment was shared with media to experience the calibre of excellence the property offers. We continue to welcome guests and patrons to our newly refurbished premises, all with requisite COVID- 19 protocols, as we strive to create a warm and welcoming environment for dining, celebrations, weddings, business and more,” said Parthiban.