Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Second Deputy Mayor of Juba City Council, Thiik Thiik Mayardit, has announced the start of construction of what is expected to be the largest shopping mall in the capital.
The 4 million dollars project is being funded by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and aims to boost trade and reduce congestion in local markets.
Thiik said the mall will serve as a modern business hub for local traders and help grow the city’s economy.
“This project will not only create business opportunities but also ease congestion in our existing markets within Juba town. We want to provide a safe, organized, and spacious environment where local traders can operate comfortably and benefit efficiently,” he said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Designs for the complex show a seven-storey building with parking space for over 200 vehicles.
Once completed, the FAO will hand over the mall to the Juba City Council, which will be responsible for managing and allocating business spaces to local traders.
Thiik added that the mall is part of wider efforts by the city council to modernize Juba and promote a more sustainable business environment.
City authorities believe the mall will change Juba’s business image by providing a central hub that meets international standards.
However, in January this year, the Chairperson of the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce, Robert Pitia, raised concerns over changes made to the mall’s design.
He said the original plan of a three-storey building with a basement was revised to a single-storey structure, which led to fears it may not accommodate all 210 traders who lost their stalls due to the construction.
Pitia also noted that women vendors had earlier refused to vacate the area over concerns they might not be given space once the construction was completed.
He said the traders had demanded a written assurance from both FAO and Juba City Council to confirm they would be resettled in the new mall.
Eye Radio could not independently verify whether the concerns raised by the traders and the Chamber of Commerce have been addressed.
The project was first announced in 2024 by FAO in partnership with Juba City Council.
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