Commissioning Of Accra Mall In March

Accra Mall, one of the largest and modern shopping malls in West Africa is preparing for its official launching in March this year.

The 20,000m2 mall began operations last year and it accommodates retail, health and beauty, entertainment and food as well as banking outlets and an 800 bay car park.

Designed by Bentel Associates International (BAI), in conjunction with Multicad Consultancy, the multi-purpose mall, which is along the Spintex Road, near the Tetteh Quarshie interchange in Accra, is being managed by Broll Ghana Limited, a property management company.

Moses Luri, Marketing Manager of Broll Ghana, told CITY&BUSINESS GUIDE in an interview in Accra that his outfit was working assiduously to ensure that the official commissioning of the mall was successful.

He added that Game and Shoprite, which are the two anchor tenants at the Accra Mall, have already begun trading and estimates an investment of over $87.8 million into the Ghanaian economy over the next 10 years.

The US$34 million Accra Mall project is a joint investment between Actis, a leading investor in emerging markets, and Joseph Owusu-Akyaw, a Ghanaian investor.

Due to the slope of the site, the centre has a lower level showroom area directly facing the Spintex Road, while the main retail has two modern entrances. The second level of the mall, which overlooks the food court situated centrally to the design, houses a cinema complex yet to open.

The centre has its own water treatment facility for waste water as well as backup generator. Since the centre is located in an earthquake zone, CITY&BUSINESS GUIDE learnt the engineers had designed the mall to ensure that it encompasses all earthquake zone requirements.

Over the past 10 years, consumer demand for convenience and quality has grown considerably and modern retail has been expanding at a very fast pace in emerging markets like Ghana.

Although some critics have questioned the impact of modern retail growth on emerging economies, it is generally considered beneficial as it produces a myriad of positive benefits that far outweigh any perceived disadvantages.

A growth in the retail industry has been a catalyst for job creation, reduction of protectionism, infrastructural improvements, improved standards of living, competitive advantages and economic growth.

The Ghanaian economy has been growing at an average of five percent per annum for the last eight years. The country is frequently regarded as a model developing country.

A growing economy and a commercial boom have resulted in unprecedented retail growth.

Ghana has a total population of over 20 million people, the majority of which is urbanized. A growing middle class with disposable income has created a substantial demand for consumer goods.

The retail development in Accra is expected to raise living standards by providing food and products as well as leisure facilities in a safe and congenial shopping environment. Ghanaians will now be able to enjoy the goods and services widely available elsewhere in the world.

By Felix Dela Klutse