Madokero Mall Brings excitement to a new upcoming neighbourhood.

THULI PETROLEUM

Terrace Africa, along with Platinum Investment Managers, recently completed the new Madokero Shopping Mall along Solomon Mujuru Road (Ex Kirkman Road). The mall was officially opened by President Mnangagwa on 15th December 2022, just in time for the Christmas rush, and much to the delight of residents in the area. Residents formerly had to travel to Westgate or to the Harare CBD to be able to access the type of shops and food outlets which are conveniently offered at the new mall. Until recently Madokero and the suburbs on the western side of Harare had been underdeveloped and a little neglected by developers, so the new mall will hopefully stimulate further investment and an upgrading of the area as other investors follow suit.

The project follows on from Terrace Africa’s hugely successful completion of Phase 1 of the Highland Park Shopping Mall which was also officially opened last year in June. Phase 2 at Highland Park is already under construction and is expected to be completed later this year. In addition, Terrace Africa also has completed Village Walk, Chinamano Corner as well as a new shopping mall in Marondera.

Terrace Africa, in conjunction with Tigere Property Fund, is set to change the nature of commercial real estate development in Zimbabwe. Tigere is Zimbabwe’s first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

The Madokero CBD project has been divided into a few phases to cater for the growing demand in the area. The first phase is the mall, which has now been completed. The second phase of the Mall, which is already underway, will see additional retail outlets with a focus on hardware and other services. In addition to this phase 2 will also consist of a drive-through and fuel station. Phase 3 will be the development of a state-of-theart medical centre. The fourth Phase will be the construction of residential units behind the Mall, which will be interlinked to provide residents with easy access and a modern integrated way of living.

The Mall is part of a master plan vision being driven through Platinum Investment Managers for the Madokero area. The masterplan includes the Mall, Business Hub, the Warehouses and Business Park, along with numerous residential developments. One of these residential developments is the Madokero Estate which is an exclusive, gated residential community which includes houses, garden flats and apartments.

Much of the construction and development at Madokero has been undertaken by Exodus and Company, a leading local property and infrastructure development company. Exodus also undertakes large scale civil projects including work on the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.

Madokero Shopping Mall was designed by South African firm Skyscape Architects who were also part of the design team for Highland Park Shopping Centre. In both developments local company Architectural Planning Studio took on a JV (Joint Venture) role of local architect, assisting throughout all stages of the development.

Exodus and Company were the main contractors with Terrace Africa acting as development managers.

InfraDesign Associates were the engineers with Superstructures (a division of The Steel Building Company) providing the steel skeleton and reinforcing steel as well as the roof. Alumin Structures provided the aluminium and glass shop fronts and shopfitting.

L Electron was the electrical sub-contractor and Lesop Plumbers along with Vita Nova supplied and fitted the water reticulation needs. Green Paradise provided the landscaping including a number of indigenous Forest Croton trees in the car park. Terrace Africa is committed to a greener, more sustainable design philosophy so the inclusion of indigenous trees in the landscaping fits well with their development ideals.

The original site was historically farmland and had been cleared of all trees. The current phase has over 100 new trees planted, including a Baobab which was relocated from a civil construction site near Mutoko.

The architectural design of the Mall is basically in three sections. The central section, which houses the anchor tenant Pick n Pay, has a high roof sheltering the entrance foyer space. The open foyer accommodates some smaller shops like a Mukuru, Liquid Home as well as a kiosk for Square Deal. It’s a useful space for customers to load or unload their trolleys and makes an impressive entrance to the supermarket as well as providing shelter from sun and rain in all seasons.

The high roof also shelters the Eye Clinic opticians and other shops. It means that the imposing façade of the Mall is clearly visible from main road. The high roof or portico sets the tone for the overall clean, modern design of the structure. Dark grey steel cladding on sections of the walls adds to the contemporary feel of the building and provides a strong backdrop for the colourful Mall logo.

To the right of the central section is a row of shops and service providers with a covered walkway linking the outlets to the central section.

The end of the right-hand wing of shops is angled slightly inward to help partially enclose the complex. A covered walkway shelters the shops from the sun and also protects shoppers from inclement weather.

The left-hand wing is a well-tenanted food court with a number of sit-down cafes and restaurants as well as takeaway options. It’s also angled inward to create a sheltered forecourt for the food outlets so diners can sit outside to enjoy their meals. The outside seating area is covered and well lit as most of the food outlets are open in the evening. There will also be a drive-through facility for fast food built as part of phase 2 - for busy customers who don’t have time to sit down or wait.

Just in front of the restaurants is a fun play area for kids to relax and let off steam while their parents are eating. There are also two Futsal sized soccer fields for adults and kids to enjoy friendly games in a safe environment. Construction of the Mall started in March of 2022 and it was officially opened in December the same year so it was a very quick schedule for such a large and complex project.

City Council supplies water for the Mall which is filtered and treated within the complex before consumption. The water supply is augmented by on-site boreholes. Electricity is supplied by ZETDC through a dedicated substation supplied and linked up by Nical Transformers. There’s also a huge 670 KVA generator to ensure the Mall has an uninterrupted power supply.

Residents of Madokero and its surrounding suburbs have finally received a much-needed upgrade with the opening of the new Madokero Shopping Mall, officially opened by President Mnangagwa on 15th December 2022.

Terrace Africa is committed to investing in infrastructure development across Zimbabwe, particularly in the retail sector, and with the launch of Tigere’s REIT are obviously looking at a longterm plan for world class property development and investment.

Terrace Africa has a number of other exciting commercial retail projects in the pipeline, including the development of a new state-of-the-art shopping complex within the grounds of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society and a new shopping mall in Ruwa.