Originally opened 17 years ago by the late Dr Harry Tlale, Bordergate Mall’s expansion will see the development of more shops and specialised kiosks.
Gape Tlale, daughter to the mall’s original developer, said plans for the revamp date back to 2012 when her father was still alive.
The Tlales are the principal shareholders in Chobe Real Estate.
“The project intends to expand to the whole lot space that has been left vacant over the last 17 years as the mall currently only occupies a small portion of the land,” she said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Upon completion, the revamped mall will include new retail shops to be housed in a 14,000-square-metre area. The new Bordergate Mall will boast a mix of services including health and wellness centres, restaurants, banking area, clothing shops, pharmacy, an open amphitheatre, furniture shops, car wash and more.
The mall is to be constructed in three phases with the first expected to take 12 months.
“Given the unpredictability of today’s economy, we found it necessary to deliver the project in a three-phase approach. “The first phase will be a 5,000 square metre retail space to be completed by September 2023, while the second phase will involve 5,200 square metres of construction to be completed in September 2024.
“The final phase will be an aesthetic revamp of the current existing mall so that it blends with phases one and two,” Tlale explained.
She said revamping the mall would create employment for Batswana, particularly residents of Tlokweng and surrounding areas.
“This project will create more than 700 permanent jobs upon completion and opportunities for those who live in and around Tlokweng,” Tlale said.
Trade and Industry minister, Mmusi Kgafela, said the revamp of the Bordergate Mall was in line with government’s drive for a citizen-driven private sector. He said government would continue to create a conducive environment for projects and developments that help economic progress in the country.
“I hope what the Tlale family is doing really instils motivation in Batswana to follow suit and be successful entrepreneurs like the family has been doing thus far,” he said.
