By Motshabi Hoaeane
On October 24, the air was thick with excitement as Chris Hani Crossing Mall, one of the largest township shopping centres in Ekurhuleni with over one hundred retailers within its 40,000 square metres, celebrated its 15th anniversary. Shoppers and regular patrons were treated to a variety of prizes following entry into the special birthday competition.
Customers who spent an amount of R1,500 at the mall qualified to enter themselves into the “Shop and Win” competition, a highlight marking fifteen years of culturally rich, lifestyle-focused shopping for residents of Kathorus, Vosloorus and Spruitview.
As the MC called out over a backdrop of popular music that kept the competition entrants energized, the big question on onlookers’ and shoppers’ lips as they passed along was: “What do I need to do to enter this competition?”. Soon, a long line of eager participants formed, clutching their receipts as they waited for a chance to step inside the rectangular-shaped “lucky machine” that could blow pieces of paper with prizes right into their hands.
Inside the booth, entrants scrambled to catch the slips of paper swirling in the air while the audience and the Chris Hani Crossing Mall marketing team cheered them on, shouting, “Bamba! Bamba! Catch!”. Those lucky enough to catch a paper with something on it walked away with surprise prizes.
One thrilled winner leaped with joy after catching a paper revealing he had won a tablet device, holding his head in disbelief and saying it was the perfect coincidence, as he had been planning to buy one.
“I wasn’t expecting this, I’m excited!” said Nkuleleko Mfulo, 25, who came with his mother to shop and won a kettle. An elated Promise Dlamini, 28, who said she did all her shopping at Chris Hani Crossing Mall every month, also exclaimed: “I feel so happy, I’m very excited! I came here just to shop and wasn’t expecting anything.”
The Chris Hani Crossing Mall Marketing Manager asserted that a total of thirty prizes were given away to winning customers, with prizes including cordless earphones, sound bars, tablets, and speakers for its younger demographic. Meanwhile, home essentials such as bar fridges, 32-inch flat-screen TVs, fans, and microwaves were also given away, as well as branded Chris Hani Crossing Mall items like umbrellas, caps, T-shirts, and bucket hats.
Chris Hani Crossing Mall Marketing Manager also mentioned that, given that the mall’s shoppers would most likely have to budget to get themselves most of the prizes, the intention was to “give the people what they want.”
“Fifteen years is a big milestone and we are excited to celebrate these years still being the preferred go-to mall for the communities we serve,” she said. Adding that, “as the mall is expanding, we are also excited that we will keep bringing our community a variety of shops and keep growing.”
The birthday celebration captured the essence of the joy, convenience, and shopping pleasure that Chris Hani Crossing Mall has been bringing since 2010.
