By 
By Delisa Thwala
After years of pleading for one of the most affordable Supermarkets Boxer store, the people of Mbabane have been finally answered.
The New Mall in Mbabane is set to undergo a structural extension valued at over E40 million, which will include the Boxer Superstore complex.
At a recent scoping meeting held at the New Mall parking lot, tenants expressed their enthusiasm for the upcoming development.
Richard Sharks, a long-standing tenant and owner of Sharks Cellular, also expressed his excitement.
“The new Boxer superstore complex extension is a significant development for us. It will drive much-needed foot traffic to the mall, which has recently struggled with low visitor numbers. This project will greatly benefit all mall tenants by including an outdoor seating area, expanded parking, and improved delivery logistics,” he said.
The Project Manager, Laurence Samuel, estimates that the construction will be completed within eight months, contingent on approval from the Eswatini Environmental Authority (EEA) following their environmental assessment.
Benetfits
“The project is anticipated to create around 50 new jobs, including roles for security personnel, tellers, store staff, cleaners, and bakers, all sourced from the Mbabane area. A key focus of the hiring process will be gender equality. The extension will also feature an outdoor seating area, improved parking facilities, and better logistics for truck deliveries,” he said.
Samuel emphasized the broader economic benefits of the project citing that this extension will not only generate jobs but also stimulate growth across several sectors, including construction, tourism, and public transport.
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“Boxer’s reputation for affordability will attract more customers, which is crucial for the mall and the wider Mbabane community, particularly given the prevalent low-income demographics,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wandile Sibandze, the project architect from Expression Architects, confirmed that the extension would integrate seamlessly with the existing mall infrastructure and will incorporate an elevated pedestrian crossing between the mall and the Mbabane bus rank, enhancing pedestrian safety.
In 2022, a tourist from the Netherlands gave the New Mall five stars out of five on Tripadvisor, an app that allows tourists to review places they have been to.
No Disturbance
The user said: “This should be the safest mall in the world, with very small and limited shops. By any chance you go to this mall please go via the Mbabane Market to support the most friendly local people who sell locally made curios and a lot of other memorabilia.”
The above sentiments might be put to the test with the construction preparations set to begin shortly, as stakeholders and members of the public wonder if the expansion will cause any traffic delays and slow down the hassle and buzz of the day.
The Project Manager, Laurence Samuel assured all relevant stakeholders that there is going to be little to no disturbance.
Instead, he said the new attractions will complement the mall’s existing tenants, which include MTN Eswatini, Ackermans, Woolworths, and Cafe 360, among others.
“We are confident that due to its size and scale, the project will become one of the largest hubs of activity and development in the region once we break ground,” he said.
Over 50 Jobs confirmed for the project
The upcoming E40 million extension will provide the people of Mbabane with employment opportunities, as there are over 50 vacant positions to be filled.
The Project Manager, Laurence Samuel, confirmed this and said with the construction already in progress, they are going to need security personnel, tellers, store staff, cleaners, and bakers.
Samuel said the people will be all sourced from Mbabane and will be 100% Swati.
When speaking on this, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo said it was impressive when local businesses aided the economy and hired local people.
Following King Mswati III’s emphasis on job creation during his address at the parliament opening, Khumalo reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to its existing program of establishing new employment opportunities. He further called on more corporations to do such.
In 2022 during the civil unrest in the country, Minister Manqoba Khumalo said the ministry will not give up in its quest to create jobs for emaSwati despite the prevailing situation in the country.
Unemployment
By the prevailing situation, Khumalo meant the ongoing burning of public and private properties across the country.
He said the ministry was hoping to reduce the youth unemployment rate, which currently stood at 58 per cent in the country, once the national budget passed in Parliament.
He stated that the country’s youth could access funding which was designed for their empowerment such as the Youth Revolving Fund as well as the Regional Development Fund (RDF).
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However, the minister said the government’s efforts were let down by the people who perpetrated the ongoing arson attacks in the country.
Worth noting is that the arsonists had been targeting private properties, such as heavy plant machinery belonging to Inyatsi Construction Company, which were set alight, causing damage worth over E3 million.
The Minister recently highlighted the need for Emaswati to actively participate in the manufacturing industry and bemoaned the absence of local entrepreneurs in the space.
Economy
Khumalo was speaking at the launch of the 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, held in May at the Royal Villas.
Khumalo said that local entrepreneurs should try to focus on the manufacturing industry as it was an untapped sector that could stimulate economic growth immensely in the Kingdom.
“As Emaswati, we should try to focus on the manufacturing industry as an economy because, as you can see, jobs are not being created at the pace at which we churn out graduates from our various educational institutions. Hence this leads to untold frustration as unemployment is very high,” he said.
Khumalo highlighted that the government, in conjunction with entrepreneurs, should come up with innovative ways of promoting manufacturing in the kingdom.
“Our role as government is to create an environment that will make it easy for local entrepreneurs to establish themselves and we must safeguard the interests of local entrepreneurs by welcoming the introduction of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Act. With this framework in place government can see how we can protect a local entrepreneur who wants to produce textiles locally,” he said.
