SOUTH Africa's Heriot Properties Group plans to construct a US$30 million Kafubu Shopping Mall in Ndola have been approved by the local authority.

Ndola Town Clerk Charity Mphande said the Ndola City Council has approved plans to construct Kafubu Shopping Mall opposite the Ndola Golf Club.

"The construction of an ultra modern shopping centre by Heriot Properties Group of South Africa near the Kafubu River is a good development which will add value to the city of Ndola," she said.

Ms Mphande said attracting a leading international property investment firm like Heriot was a clear sign that the Zambian economy and the city of Ndola in particular were being highly rated as investment destinations.

"As the council we have continued to receive enquiries from not only South Africa but Europe, Asia and Australia where some investors have heard about the incentives being offered and the business opportunities that exist in Ndola and need to be exploited," she said.

Ms Mphande said construction of the Kafubu Shopping Mall was expected to start soon once all the necessary paper work was completed.

Ms Mphande said the construction of the new shopping mall would help to decongest the town centre which was increasingly becoming overpopulated.

She said it was now a trend to decongest the town centre and the central business district in all major cities by opening up new areas for property development.

She said apart from Kafubu Shopping Mall, the Z-mart and Cash Bazaar shopping malls in Ndola's central business district were also under construction.