THE imposing Joina City complex, the biggest commercial centre in the country, will open its doors to the public on Friday next week, 12 years after construction commenced.
Though it has taken longer than was first expected to complete the project, the facility will provide a different and unique shopping experience to most Zimbabweans.
Project manager for New World, which is in charge of project, Mr Kevin Smith, yesterday told Herald Business that the occupation of the floors will be done in phases with the basement and retail shops up to the second floor opening first.
He said other tenants would continuously occupy the remaining floors.
“We have a good mix of tenants who are ideal for a prime shopping experience ranging from locally owned companies to international companies.
“The first step is to give confidence to the public, the investors and the tenants who were holding back and that is why we are opening next week,” said Mr Smith.
With a total of 24 floors, Joina City comprises of 66 retail shops on the lower ground, upper ground, first and second floors, while a gym occupies the third floor.
The complex boasts of a three-level basement car park with a holding capacity of 600 vehicles that is fully equipped with closed circuit television security that also covers the whole building inclusive of the 16-floor office space.
International companies that are expected to open shop next week include Samsung Concept from South Korea, KFC, Mugg n Bean, Home Mark, Woolworths and Diskom.
Local companies at the new complex include Econet, Spar, Faith Wear, e-Sport, Rainbow Cinemas (in partnership with New Metro and UIP), Premier Bank, NMB Bank and nine other banks will have their ATMs installed.
The building has been fitted with back-up generators with a capacity of 1 100Kva and water storage tanks with a capacity to hold 240 000 litres.
“We believe you will have all you want in the same place. The complex will cover all the aspects of a city and that is why we renamed the project Joina City from Joina Centre in 2007.
“This will encompass restaurants on the first and 14th floors, a kids’ entertainment centre, and three basement floors of vehicle parking with a capacity of holding up to 600 cars,” said Mr Smith.
“There are also 16 floors of office space, one grocery shop, a gym on the third floor, bookshops and cinemas.
“We believe that there would be no need for one to go to South Africa for shopping as we would like to make sure that you get everything under one roof.”
To make sure the building is maintained as one of the best projects in Zimbabwe, the owners have stated that in the tenants’ contracts that they would monitor the quality of goods and services provided.
The official opening of the building is scheduled for August this year and would be done by President Mugabe and Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal of City Group and Four Seasons Hotels, who is a partner in the venture through Kingdom Joina Holdings Limited.
“It’s true that this project has long been awaited and at the same time we feel that it could not have been opened at a better time than now as the country is ready economically.
“It would have been more difficult in terms of the investors suppose it had opened a few years ago when the economy was not that good.
“Then it would have been more difficult to plan. Moreover, how would the people have come to shop here because there was not enough money being accessed from the banks?
“At the same time the environment was such that even the payment of rent and rates in local currency made it difficult to budget and hold onto.
“It might not be the perfect time, but definitely it is the right time because the perfect time will come as the economy grows,” said Mr Smith.
The project is the brainchild of TA Holdings chairman Mr Shingai Mutasa, whose interests in the project are vested in Joina Development Company.
Other investors include the National Social Security Authority, the Local Authorities Pension Fund, the National Railways of Zimbabwe Pension Fund and Dubury Investment (Private) Limited
Investors also include the Communications and Allied Industry Pension Fund, Zimnat Investments (Private) Limited and the PTC Pension Fund.
