Windhoek: Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare said the inauguration of Goreangab Mall marks a significant shift in economic activity towards Katutura, bringing investment, services, and opportunities closer to residents. Speaking at the inauguration of the mall on Friday, Ngurare described the development as an investment in people and the future of Katutura, saying it reflects growing confidence in the area's economic potential.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Ngurare noted that residents who previously travelled to central Windhoek for shopping and services can now access many of those facilities closer to home. 'For many in Katutura, whereas the road used to lead to the east or south-east to go to central Windhoek, now the journey has turned. You are now going west, and that is a monumental achievement,' he said.

Ngurare said the development is expected to stimulate entrepreneurship, employment creation, and skills development while contributing to the area's economic growth. He further described the opening of the mall as a historic milestone that demonstrates how investment can transform communities.

Oryx Properties chairperson and Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Vetumbuavi Mungunda, said the nearly N.dollars 300 million investment forms part of a deliberate strategy to redirect economic activity to areas where the majority of Namibians live. 'It was a very intentional act as part of the strategy to make sure that we have an inclusive society,' he said.

Mungunda said major investments in infrastructure play an important role in expanding the country's productive capacity and stimulating economic growth. 'What you see here becomes an economic hub. It becomes an economic ecosystem and some of the economic activities that would have happened in central Windhoek will now be redirected to happen here,' he said.

According to Mungunda, the private sector has a responsibility to invest in projects that address unemployment, inequality, and the need for inclusive growth. He expressed confidence that Goreangab Mall will become a major commercial hub over the next decade, similar to developments that have transformed other parts of Windhoek.

Among those attending the inauguration were President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, senior government officials, local authority representatives, and business executives.