The Westown Square in Shongweni, opening on Thursday, will contribute to employment opportunities in the eThekwini Municipality.
Image: Supplied
Anticipation is mounting over the opening of Westown Square in Shongweni, on Thursday, and the impact it will have on employment opportunities in the eThekwini Municipality.
Westown is a mixed-use property and lifestyle development alongside the N3 between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The first phase of the development, including The Barn, will be open to the public.
Westown is designed around Westown Square, which is supported by a number of interconnected precincts, spaces, and experiences, including Baldwin's residential development – Shongweni Eco Park, that together form the 100ha Westown Urban Core.
According to reports, Westown is dubbed the new City of the West, and the new economic hub for Durban’s Outer West. The Barn is positioned as the spatial heart of Westown Square, with an iconic-barn-shaped structure that will house an eclectic selection of artisanal homeware, art, beauty, fashion, food, and beverage outlets, alongside quality restaurants and niche concept eateries
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said that the city has invested R600 million in infrastructure development and upgrades for this catalytic project and is happy to see it realised.
“It is the first phase for further mixed-use development and investment in the region that includes a residential estate, hospital, business and commercial parks, and more. Westown is set to generate about R15 billion in investment over the next 10 to 15 years, creating 15 000 construction jobs, 8 500 permanent jobs,” Sisilana said.
This Catalytic Project is supported by the eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs, and the National Government.
With regards to community participation and employment opportunities with Westown Square, Shongweni Village resident Simphiwe Ngema said: “All is positive. A great number of youth have found employment opportunities and we believe that the mall will benefit the community and surrounding areas.”
1000 Hills Tourism South Africa said it celebrated the arrival of the new shopping and lifestyle destination in the Valley of 1000 Hills!
“We wish Westown a very warm 1000 Hills welcome. They are primed to set the trend in retail experiences. It is a world-class shopping destination designed as a high street environment where indoor meets outdoor and the characteristics of the Shongweni green belt are reflected,” they stated.
The Westown Square in Shongweni will open on Thursday.
Image: Westown Shongweni
ROADS
According to Westown, Thursday not only signifies the opening of Westown Square, but the completion of essential road upgrades.
The once congested Kassier Road is expected to be expanded to four lanes of traffic from the Cliffdale Road intersection to the new Westown Boulevard and Milky Way (P559) intersection with 2 lanes in each direction, separated by a central median.
There will be two access points into Westown Square:
1) Inkosi Shozi Drive - The new loop road & bridge over Kassier Rd, and
2) Westown Boulevard - The signalised intersection at Milky Way (P559).
At the M13, the new “western deck” of the M13 interchange will be operational, allowing for continued traffic flow while the existing bridge is elevated and integrated with the upgraded Kassier Road. Completion of this integration is scheduled for June 2025.
zainul.dawood@inl.co.za