Lowveld's lovely I'Langa... here comes the sun

Artist's rendering of the I'Langa Mall interior

It will also be the first time that certain stores will enter the Nelspruit area. These include @HomeLivingSpace, Dion Wired, Hang Ten, Due South, Portuguese women's wear designer Ana Sousa, Mr Price Sport and Game.

Initially motivated by the long-term vision of the late Andeon Visagie (snr), extensive market research confirmed a demand for a regional shopping centre in the area. It will also serve the substantial and growing cross-border shopping market from Mozambique and visiting tourists.

The construction of the mall is expected to boost the local community and economy by creating some 2400 jobs during the construction phase. Once open, it is anticipated that an additional 3590 sustainable jobs will be created. Wherever possible, local suppliers and contractors have been used.

Sound ownership

The development is owned by the Visagie Trust, Resilient Properties and Laeveldtrust and will be developed by MTB Development Company. Resilient is listed on the JSE and focuses on the development of and investment in dominant retail centres. Resilient is also major co-owner of Highveld Mall in Witbank and owner of Nelspruit Plaza, all underpinning its strong understanding of fundamentals and dynamics in the market.

"We have great confidence in the economy of Nelspruit and the entire region. Our local partners have, with their knowledge and passion, certainly created a superior asset in I'Langa Mall," says Johann Kriek of Resilient.

The owners have also undertaken extensive traffic studies concerning the construction of the mall and are spending millions in road upgrades, as part of the project, to ensure easy access to the centre and good, uncongested traffic flows around the mall.

"I'langa Mall is proudly local. The idea was conceptualised in Nelspruit; it is being developed by a team of Nelspruit businessmen and built with the best local knowledge and skills. We are proud that this mall will offer residents the best that shopping centres can offer," says Luan Visagie of major stakeholder, Visagie Trust.