Exploring The Decline of Zimbabwe's Biggest Shopping Mall | Westgate Harare

[@zeburules]

This mall was thriving in the late 90s...busy even weekdays. Very sad, a reflection of the decimation of the middle-class.

[@GraceRuffy]

We just need to maintain repair and not ignore infrastructure. It's still possible to start over with derelict projects

[@wayneshamba6961]

Might be bad now but the mall is salvageable. Under good management it can be revamped. If the economy picks up this would make a good investment.

[@Guardie-M]

I first watched titanic there. Damnnn. I pray that Zim will rise up again

[@maverickmillionaire9792]

I first visited this mall in 2000 and I was lost for words! What a gem it was! A place of luxury and dreams! The movie houses were up there with the eating places and so many shops and Pama meats and a huge Edgars! When I went back in 2016-17 I was dismayed! All my dreams were shattered! It was a gaunt ghost of its former self! I pray that one day the economy will rise and this mall claim its rightful place in Zim. The real issue is the brain drain because most people who used to stay in and around Westagate mall are now abroad and the remaining ones are not so well off and only go there to buy bread from PnP!

[@julietndlovu4308]

I am impressed by the way it is super clean. Very well looked after.

[@midlandsguy2653]

Good staff bro keep it up.

[@RepatAssist]

Thanks for watching.

[@moirapettifr7127]

It's happening to malls here in the US too. One of the biggest local malls was just completely removed last winter. It's a reflection of people buying online and the convienience of shopping from home. The challenge is to be a step ahead of what people want.

[@mticha9566]

It’s now a ghost town. Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is heartbreaking 💔 it used to be very busy, prestigious and beautiful. One could hardly find parking especially on Saturdays.

[@zimcoder]

Westgate is the west of Harare not north.. it's literally in the name.

[@lawrencestoke]

Used to hang out here - movies and Nando's 😂

[@markwebb8906]

I’m a born and raised Zimbabwean and I went to this mall to ice skate, watch movies and go to the arcade as a child. Used to be amazing and on top of that those security guards are just giving you shit for nothing, there’s no such policies in Zimbabwe 😂

[@RepatAssist]

Sad this mall is not the same. Glad you have some great childhood memories.

[@freedomchitake5552]

In Zimbabwe we don't have a mall or just a shopping center All hopes to the new cyber place

[@MaryJane.007]

Feels like they don’t want footage getting out…

[@redjongaming]

Have so much nostalgia at Westgate. It had the best stores back in 2000. I remember Spinalong, Krazykidz, Flame Inn, and the cinema area always use to be busy. Last time i saw the place busy was when Man of Steel came out and even then it wasn't as packed. Thankfully we got Sam Levys Village and thats always got a good atmosphere like Westgate had back in the day.

[@ShotsMerkzAll]

Do they have any luxury fashion shops in Zimbabwe? Like Louis Vuitton etc.

[@MegaLmae]

@@ShotsMerkzAll lol 😂 😅no they don’t good question though

[@freedom-businesschannel7191]

Good memories from 1998 ☺️

[@TMTWMYL]

"it's dead anyway"😂😂😂

[@kundaigotore992]

Watched MIB there, good times.

[@ironore1000]

Nothing works in zanuland.

[@SymphonyBrahms]

The economy in Zimbabwe is very poor. Mismanagement and graft are everywhere. It's a shame because it's a beautiful country with wonderful people.

[@mandlas.4305]

This is the guy who eats sadza nemuriwo with a spoon. Akakurira ku America mhani leave him alone.😂

[@rosiematabane5292]

Nice big mall thanks for showing us.I so wish Nicolas Mabhena, Simba Chitando, Mxolisi Ncube and all Zimbabweans clever representing their people here in SouthAfrica could have their offices there in that mall and redeveloped but instead they are here fighting battles which will not benefit them in future and their generations to come

[@FireBrand777]

Also wish SA could remove its filthy hands off our coking coal and Platinum instead of supplying jobs to the unemployed youths 😊

[@rosiematabane5292]

@@FireBrand777 you are an arrogant youth who has no future but polluted by polotics instead of appreciation and encouragement to the good malls your country have you are bitter minded, shame you don't have direction foreign minded

[@MrEcho1tango]

Can't believe they were actually trying to stop you from filming!

[@RepatAssist]

Our people don't understand free marketing/ advertising. It is very sad.

[@thenewlyreborngamer]

Good video. I like to visit shopping centres when i travel abroad and see what the different cultures see as valuable and shopping trends. Was pretty disappointed when i walked through here now, its really a ghost town. I enjoyed Sam levi and really the borrowdale area. Atleast there are some growth that side. In short Zimbabwe is slowly dying the last 20 years and its on life support currently and that is sad if you look at its history. Such is life i guess. But anyway goodluck and keep a positive attitude going🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@RepatAssist]

Yes zim is not the same but hopefully some changes will happen in the near future. Glad you liked the video and Thanks for watching.

[@jimtripman9002]

when new must have been an attractive looking place but it is still a bad design, good design is then something is designed to last. An example is the plastering on the walls look decayed and stained and not easy to maintain becouse it look to be textured when it should at least be a plain surface that could be cleaned.

[@tonydmand]

What’s the fuck wrong with these security guards man, there is no law that says no filming unless u inside someone’s shop

[@freedomchitake5552]

One person who agree with me Yes its dead l was there in 2017

[@wilkuf]

Sad state of affairs indeed

[@munyamubaiwa4313]

Old mutual killed their mall. Their rentals are sky high. Thats why all th companies leave and go elsewhere. Malls are sprouting and flourishing all over Harare and there is no reason why Westgate should fail. On the guard saying no shooting that is pure bullshit. Just a flashlight cop who had nothing to do and felt like being the man. Good thing he did that to you ant a nutter like me.

[@kimbozw1808]

yes. i worked in offices at westgate from sept 1998 to aug 2003. at the beginning things were buzzing there. then the farmers were kicked out in early 2000 (they used to frequent the shopping centre apparently) and the place kept going down thereafter. partly because old mutual overcharged tenants on things like electricity and the like. before long there were many empty shops. i wonder if old mutual has learned anything?

[@N.e.n.e.z]

Westgate is in Harare West,it's literally in the name...just like Eastgate its Harare East Sam Levy is the one in Harare North

[@justinmagagani8835]

Technically it's in Harare North, but we commonly refer to it as Harare west.

[@aleksandarbukefal7145]

Anesu,you are clever, know very well Harare,come to show me,I am in Sam Levy, waiting you...❤

[@cc35506]

​@@justinmagagani8835No thats harare west. If you're driving from Borrowdale to Westgate Harare North ends at Mt Pleasant. Once you enter Marlborough thats Harare West. Even the property value is different.

[@justinmagagani8835]

​@chipomutasa3550 look on the map and you will see it's north of harare. Drop a pin on Google maps and they will tell you it's harare North. Hatcliff is also Harare north😂😂😂

[@cc35506]

@@justinmagagani8835 Google maps got it wrong. Its not 100% you know that. I grew up that part of Harare and it has always been Harare West.

[@simakahlemahlatini]

Was this on a normal weekday?

[@RepatAssist]

A Tuesday.

[@Silveradoroad]

Very sad…

[@maverickmillionaire9792]

Only in Zimbabwe do you find ignorant mall management refusing to have people take photos or record videos. Jaaaa! The backwardness of my people is everywhere! FREE ADVERTISING is what some establishements are fighting to have from vloggers and influencers all over the world! We have a lot of work to do in Zimbabwe. In this day and age you would expect them to know how advertising in the social media age works. No wonder this mall is derelict like this. Shame!

[@mhopi9744]

Yes. U just said it right. We don't embrace change but rather stay in the bubble coz it's too familiar. Situations like this make Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 look uncivilized

[@RepatAssist]

Sad isn't it. Have been kicked out in a few really nice spots. I tried to explain what i was doing nobody cared to listen. our people are so behind on this and don't understand how much business they could be losing.

[@munesumangava9751]

What a waste😢

[@bighardman33]

It declined when the farmers were all kicked out. This was on the outskirts of town

[@marigoldbeam5475]

Utter bollocks. And why don't you guys like your own homes? You hate people entering Europe, you even dislike other europeans(brexit), but you somehow think you have the right to travel to and squat in other people's countries. Insane. Narcissists.

[@MegaLmae]

The farmers deserved to be kicked out. We took the land. The land is ours.

[@ironore1000]

@@MegaLmaetypical scorched earth Shona perspective. Those farms are in zanu hands.

[@mhopi9744]

Thx for the video n heads up of what's cooking in some of these places. It's mind boggling when some of our very own people treat us unfairly because they lack knowledge of hw times hv changed. Black people are in the lime light n are tourists too. The mall lacks gd management. It has very poor service n maintenance The mall is going down the drain n its a ghost place. Needs some rescue

[@dianahove6953]

Offcourse its owned by old mutual what do you expect??

[@mhopi9744]

@@dianahove6953 they are selfish n greedy, this mall used to be vibrant n a big money maker, nw disappearing. Sad

[@dianahove6953]

I just hate that our government is seeing this but not taking any action. I hope one day it will find its way back to the 90s-early 2000s glory days

[@mhopi9744]

@@dianahove6953 imagine back then just mentioning the mall it meant glamor n big money. I also wonder where the local assigned town clerks/town council authorities are to play their role n inform n push the government to take action.