More than a decade after announcing plans to build a R200m shopping mall in the heartland of Engcobo, his mother’s place of birth, Eastern Cape-born property mogul Sisa Ngebulana is about to make good on his promise.
And he has promised to bring more development to the province, including the construction of 312 residential apartments in Mthatha, 420 units as part of an Eva Estate in East London, across from Hemingways Mall, and a “big residential estate” in Gqeberha.
On Friday, Ngebulana, who hails from Mthatha, was joined by Dr AB Xuma municipality bosses, led by mayor Siyabulela Zangqa, Ngcobo-born Chris Hani district mayor Lusanda Sizani and the local community, at a sod-turning ceremony to herald the construction of the R200m Engcobo Mall.
Charity begins at home. We have a track record in the Eastern Cape of having done all the big shopping malls
“Charity begins at home,” he said. “We have a track record in the Eastern Cape of having done all the big shopping malls.”
His Billion Group has been instrumental in the construction of at least 16 shopping malls in SA, including the Eastern Cape’s biggest shopping centre, Baywest Mall in Gqeberha, Mdantsane City Mall and Hemingways Mall in East London, and BT Ngebs City Mall in Mthatha, the latter named in honour of his grandfather.
A contractor for the Engcobo Mall, which will cover 10,000m2, has already been appointed, with the project to start with the removal of earthworks in October 2025.
This will be followed up by the construction work in February 2026, with the mall anticipated to officially open its doors in April 2027.
The facility would come with taxi and bus ranks.
“Today marks the beginning of something that the community will be proud to have,” Ngebulana said on Friday.
“Many retailers showed interest in setting up shop in this mall once completed.
“But we could not accommodate everyone. Maybe we could accommodate them in future when the mall expands.”
The construction of the new mall is expected to create more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs during its construction.
More than 600 direct and indirect jobs will be created once it is operational.
Ngebulana said getting the project off the ground had not been smooth sailing.
A lot of delays had been encountered along the way, including Covid-19.
A total of 41 tenants have been secured and 34 stores have already signed up.
These include major fast-food outlets, grocery shops, fashion and clothing stores. The mall will be anchored around Boxer Superstores.
The remaining spots will be allocated to local businesses in the town.
“The mall not only brings an investment of R200m to the people of Ngcobo, it promises more than 1,600 job opportunities which will have a huge impact,” Ngebulana said.
“The procurement of materials will be from local people, while artisans like your carpenters and bricklayers also stand to benefit.
“The community will also no longer spend millions of rand in transport money travelling to surrounding towns like Mthatha and Dutywa to do their shopping.
“And every penny saved would be spent in Ngcobo, boosting the GDP of the town.
“The local municipality would also benefit from the rates and service charges for municipal services.”
He said the Engcobo Mall project was the closest to his heart yet.
He had been planning it for a long time but said: “There were too many hurdles to go through with the municipality.
“We also had Covid-19 which took everything backwards and we could not do anything for three years.”
His 81-year-old mother Nomakhosi, who alongside his wife Ayanda and sister Vuyokazi Njongwe, was present on Friday, said she was thrilled that the mall would finally see the light of day.
She was worried about dying before it came to fruition, she said.
She hails from Luhewini village in the rural hinterlands of Engcobo.
Zangqa said the new mall signalled a new chapter for the area.
“This investment is not only for us now, but for future generations as well.
“We are all excited at the magnitude of this project and what it will offer the people of Ngcobo.”
He said the municipality was looking at selling residential sites in town, as well as the construction of a private hospital and a hotel and conference facility to boost the economy and provide modern-day infrastructure for citizens.
Zangqa also warned the so-called extortion mafia not to try their luck with the shopping mall project.
Sizani said it had been the dream of everyone associated with the town to see the area have its own world-class shopping centre.
The district council was also busy building a wastewater treatment works plant in the area and investing R1bn into the construction of a huge dam to supply clean water to the municipal area, Sizani added.
Engcobo Business Forum secretary Zolani Faleni said the mall would serve to break barriers for local economic opportunities, while calling it a symbol of great progress.
He said the facility would help to attract more investors to the town and the municipality, and would stimulate local economic trade.
Sithembele Mase, AmaQwathi royal family spokesperson, said the new mall was a realisation of a 196-year-old dream of Nkosi Fubu, who led AmaQwathi in about 1834.
He said Fubu had given away land to the missionaries for the development of what is today known as the CBD of Ngcobo as “he wanted the town to become an economic and trading hub”.
The word Engcobo , after which the municipality is named, was derived from a form of green and sweet grass that grew on the banks of the Ngcotyana river, Mase explained.
Daily Dispatch
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