By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –

SHOPRITE Holdings Group will construct a second shopping mall that will house Shoprite supermarket, Hungry Lion Take Away and O.K Furniture store in Solwezi as part of its expansion programme.

The booming activities in Solwezi have seen an increase in population which has led to Shoprite failing to meet the demand.

Group general manager-Zambia Charles Bota said to respond to the growing population in North Western Province, the company would be constructing a shopping mall that would house a second Shoprite supermarket as well as a second Hungry Lion Take Away.

Mr Bota said at the same mall the company would also set up the first O.K Furniture store in Solwezi because Hungry Lion and O.K. Furniture stores are part of Shoprite Holdings Group of companies.

“We have identified a site for the new store at the showgrounds and this is intended to open in April 2015 and we are still doing the costing,” Mr Bota said.

At least 250 direct employees in the three companies were expected to be employed with another 100 Zambian auxiliary staff.

Recently, Mr Bota said the company had invested about K7 million to upgrade Hungry Lion Livingstone, Cairo and Freedom outlets in Lusaka as well as, Ndola’s Z-Mart mall and Solwezi outlets.

The company expects to open seven more stores in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, Chililabombwe, Mongu and Choma that will employ about 140 direct staff in total.

Currently the company employs 216 direct staff, out of which 22 are managers and one regional manager.