Maritzburg Makro gutted during July unrest set to open next month

Makro in Pietermaritzburg is gearing up to reopen its doors in less than six weeks after last year’s July unrest.

November 23 is D-Day for the retailer in Barnsley Road, Camps Drift, Pietermaritzburg, to at last open its doors for trade.

The store was one of many big KwaZulu-Natal retailers that were looted in July.

ALSO READ | Five more alleged July unrest instigators appear in court

Five men were found dead in the vicinity of the store after it was the scene of chaos as hoards of people descended on the store to empty its shelves. The nearby China Mall was also looted and torched.

It is believed the men were killed during the stampedes that took place as hundreds of people jostled to get their hands on items and flee with all they could carry.

Since then, Makro has rebuilt its store with a new customer shopping experience, they said.

Chairperson of the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business, Melanie Veness, said she thought one of the clearest images from the July riots, seared forever in her memory, was seeing the complete destruction of businesses in Barnsley Road, especially Makro.

“I remember standing in the road looking around in complete disbelief, remembering it is still painful. In November our new improved Makro will open to the public. To see it rebuilt even better than it was before is incredibly moving.

“I want to wholeheartedly welcome the reopening of Makro and to applaud and thank Massmart for their immense fortitude and loyalty to South Africa and to our City. It takes courage to rebuild on the same site.

“I must also say that Makro were brilliant in preserving jobs. Whilst the rebuild was undertaken, their staff were redeployed to other Massmart branches, so jobs were not lost,” said Veness.

ALSO READ | One year since July unrest: Experts say no indication of improvement in policing

She added the Pietermaritzburg community needed to honour this reinvestment and support those who have shown such faith in them and the city.

Makro general sales manager, Strini Naidoo said most of the brand’s corporate social responsibility efforts have gone into collaborating with key stakeholders to re-build KZN not only for businesses but for the communities that keep these businesses open.

Our Early Childhood Development partner, Hope Worldwide is currently assessing the suitability of enrolling an ECD centre near the store to help cater for the community’s children. Our holding company, Massmart also played a key role during the floods that affected the larger KZN community earlier on this year with donations of non-perishable food, personal care items and approximately 35 tons of bottled water for distribution to those displaced by the downpours.

The local retail sector represents almost 14% of South Africa’s total GDP and almost a million people are employed in many stores throughout the country, yet the industry has undergone the toughest economic conditions between 2021 and 2022.

ALSO READ | July unrest: Businesses no longer have confidence that they will be protected in KZN

The store promised to showcase a variety of changes for customers with the addition of a butchery, fresh produce sections and an extended range of general merchandise.
Its 12 000 square metre store will also boast the retail giant’s newly-introduced e-commerce pick-up department and express check-out.

Makro has been working collaboratively with our building partners to ensure that we turn things around within the set times and open the store on November 23. Our on-site teams have made exceptional progress from breaking ground to making sure that all the enhancements are added with great care.

He added customer safety was at the forefront of the plans going forward with a stronger committed presence from SAPS, Traffic Department and Fidelity Security Services.

Pietermaritzburg, get ready and keep on the lookout for more details closer to the date.

The store’s operational hours will be from 8 am to 6 pm weekdays. On Saturdays they will close at 5 pm and at 4 pm on Sundays.