Shoppers come in their numbers as KZN’S newest upmarket mall opens
KWAZULU-NATAL’S newest luxury mall officially opened its doors to shoppers yesterday in time to capitalise on Black Friday.
People came in numbers to experience the beauty of Oceans Mall, which forms part of the R4.3 billion mixed-use Oceans umhlanga Development.
The customers were welcomed by various forms of entertainment inside the mall while employees were singing and ululating in joy.
Oceans Mall, which was officially launched during a glittering ceremony on Friday, created 2 500 permanent jobs.
The first phase of the mall kicked off when the doors of the Radisson Blu Hotel opened to the public in June, while the second phase will begin in March next year.
The mall includes a high-end fashion section that will have international fashion brands such as Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Versace, and many others.
The mall created 6 000 jobs during construction and will have 120 stores, with Woolworths and Checkers as its anchor tenants, and 14 exciting new restaurants.
The mall will have a positive impact on both the local and regional economy with its job creation and major financial contribution to the city’s coffers in terms of rates and utilities, said co-developer of Oceans Mall Vivian Reddy.
“The luxurious Checkers is designed in such a way that the various departments look and feel like specialist stores within a store,” he said.
Defining the mall, Reddy said it was a world-class offering that was positioned among the top three exclusive malls in the country.
“Oceans Mall is distinctive and geared for all tastes, including the sophisticated and affluent shopper,” said Reddy.
Mayor of ethekwini Mxolisi Kaunda said the development was going to put the province on the international map as a luxury destination for tourists.
Kaunda said that the city welcomed the development not only because it was going to change the skyline of the city, but also because it was going to contribute positively towards economic growth for Kwazulu-natal.
“We applaud Reddy’s visionary leadership and commitment to continue expanding his investments in our city.
“As government, we want to make a call on the private sector to partner with us to boost the city’s economic recovery efforts. As the city, we view this investment of R4.3 billion as a vote of confidence in our efforts to build a conducive environment (for economic growth).”
The mall will also offer mouth-watering restaurants such as the trendy Tiger’s Milk, renowned signature restaurant Black, long-established Olive & Oil, as well as local long-time franchise favourites such as the Spur and Hussar Grill.