Almost two years after it was extensively damaged in the July 2021 unrest, Bridge City shopping centre in KwaMashu, north of Durban, will reopen on Thursday.
The shopping centre, owned by Futuregrowth Community Property Fund (Comprop), was forced to close after looters descended on it when violence swept through KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng in July 2021.
The damage necessitated a full closure and internal reconstruction of the shopping centre.
Comprop fund manager Smital Rambhai said more than 1,500 jobs were lost.
“The July 2021 riots will forever remain in our memories as one of the most tragic events in SA history, with about 1 ,563 jobs lost at Bridge City shopping centre. We estimate these jobs would have affected at least 10,000 lives in the communities of Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu, who are supported by the income earned by staff working at the centre.
“Both Futuregrowth and Capital Land set up a strategy, after the riots had settled, to embark on restoring the economic support that Bridge City shopping centre provides these communities. One of the priorities was to restore access to essential goods and services, which we did with Superspar trading as early as June 2022, while the rest of the centre was being reconstructed,” he said.
The 40,000m² regional shopping centre, managed by Capital Land Asset Management, originally opened in 2009 in the centre of Bridge City, a mixed-use precinct which connects the communities of Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu.
The shopping centre, which was relaunched on Wednesday, boasts contemporary aesthetics that are modern, light and inviting.
“The aesthetic concept was inspired by Bridge City shopping centre’s location and use as a transport hub in KwaMashu, where retail intersects with transport in the form of a train station and a recently developed taxi rank. Railway sleeper and track details are prominent in the ceiling and floor tile design throughout the shopping centre,” said Rambhai.
FNB announced that its branch, which was severely damaged during the unrest, would reopen in the shopping centre.
“We are pleased with the reopening of our Bridge City branch in KwaMashu. Branches that are in shopping malls require extensive collaboration with landlords, vendors, and communities, and we’re delighted to collectively reach this milestone. This is a continuation of our efforts to rebuild some of our branches and ATMs that were damaged during the unrest. We’re delighted to maintain our strong presence in communities such as KwaMashu, which is one of the biggest townships in SA,” said FNB Points of Presence CEO Lee-Anne van Zyl.
She said the opening of the Bridge City branch was important for the KwaZulu-Natal economy.
“The province has encountered several challenges in recent years, including natural disasters such as floods, so an investment of this magnitude is critical in rebuilding trust that KwaZulu-Natal remains one of our country’s most important economic hubs. Most importantly, this expands access to our services for individuals and small businesses.”
TimesLIVE
KwaMashu’s Bridge City reopens after July unrest damage
Image: supplied
Almost two years after it was extensively damaged in the July 2021 unrest, Bridge City shopping centre in KwaMashu, north of Durban, will reopen on Thursday.
The shopping centre, owned by Futuregrowth Community Property Fund (Comprop), was forced to close after looters descended on it when violence swept through KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng in July 2021.
The damage necessitated a full closure and internal reconstruction of the shopping centre.
Comprop fund manager Smital Rambhai said more than 1,500 jobs were lost.
“The July 2021 riots will forever remain in our memories as one of the most tragic events in SA history, with about 1 ,563 jobs lost at Bridge City shopping centre. We estimate these jobs would have affected at least 10,000 lives in the communities of Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu, who are supported by the income earned by staff working at the centre.
“Both Futuregrowth and Capital Land set up a strategy, after the riots had settled, to embark on restoring the economic support that Bridge City shopping centre provides these communities. One of the priorities was to restore access to essential goods and services, which we did with Superspar trading as early as June 2022, while the rest of the centre was being reconstructed,” he said.
The 40,000m² regional shopping centre, managed by Capital Land Asset Management, originally opened in 2009 in the centre of Bridge City, a mixed-use precinct which connects the communities of Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu.
The shopping centre, which was relaunched on Wednesday, boasts contemporary aesthetics that are modern, light and inviting.
“The aesthetic concept was inspired by Bridge City shopping centre’s location and use as a transport hub in KwaMashu, where retail intersects with transport in the form of a train station and a recently developed taxi rank. Railway sleeper and track details are prominent in the ceiling and floor tile design throughout the shopping centre,” said Rambhai.
FNB announced that its branch, which was severely damaged during the unrest, would reopen in the shopping centre.
“We are pleased with the reopening of our Bridge City branch in KwaMashu. Branches that are in shopping malls require extensive collaboration with landlords, vendors, and communities, and we’re delighted to collectively reach this milestone. This is a continuation of our efforts to rebuild some of our branches and ATMs that were damaged during the unrest. We’re delighted to maintain our strong presence in communities such as KwaMashu, which is one of the biggest townships in SA,” said FNB Points of Presence CEO Lee-Anne van Zyl.
She said the opening of the Bridge City branch was important for the KwaZulu-Natal economy.
“The province has encountered several challenges in recent years, including natural disasters such as floods, so an investment of this magnitude is critical in rebuilding trust that KwaZulu-Natal remains one of our country’s most important economic hubs. Most importantly, this expands access to our services for individuals and small businesses.”
TimesLIVE
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