“We have protected nearly everything from hotels to hospitals, embassies to universities, but in our 47-year history this is one of the biggest projects we’ve had the honour of securing. We couldn’t let that opportunity pass us by.”–Tony Sahni, Chief Executive Officer, Securex Agencies.
Sitting on about 62,000 square metres, the Two Rivers Mall opened its doors to the public on Valentine’s Day and we were front and centre of all the action! Two Rivers is described as a “monster of a mall” by James Nicholl, the director of security for investment firm Centum, which is the majority shareholder of the mall.
The numbers behind the project are truly mind-boggling; 11 acres, 150 retail stores and international brands, and 3,000 parking spaces, just to mention some of the stats behind the biggest shopping mall in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa. The mall pulled in monster crowds during its opening week, making security one of the paramount concerns as shoppers and revelers partook in all the entertainment offered.
On Sunday, 19th February for instance, 120,000 fun lovers and nearly 15,000 cars came streaming through the mall’s security checkpoints!
Overseeing the opening week from a security provider’s perspective also took painstaking effort. Many of our site supervisors and guards worked longer shifts in an effort to keep visitors safe.
But not everything went smoothly during the record-breaking weekend. One of our elite Mobile Response Team crew members was unfortunately involved in a minor accident while screening cars at the main entrance, sustaining soft tissue damage to his leg after being hit by a car. When things threatened to get ugly later in the evening, our teams helped maintain a sense of calm and safety amongst visitors by quickly responding to two assault incidents which resulted in a total of five arrests.
“The numbers behind the mall’s opening made this quite a unique experience for us,” said Tony Sahni, C.E.O at Securex.
“Handling crowds of 120,000 in a day takes a lot of mettle and coordination of security efforts. We had to maximize on efficiency without compromising on effectiveness, conducting comprehensive vehicle-screening while spending only 20 seconds per vehicle. It was critical for us that we see out the opening week with minimal fuss, ensuring we create a safe environment where the families that came through could truly enjoy themselves.”
Mr. Sahni went on to tout the firm’s involvement in the Two Rivers project as a milestone in Securex’s 47-year history:
“We are honoured to be charged with the responsibility of securing East Africa’s biggest mall, especially considering that the region’s second-biggest mall, Garden City Mall, is one of our assignments as well!
Considering the internationally acclaimed brands that are part of this project, we are happy to have contributed in our own little way to the success that is Two Rivers and congratulate the firm on its truly momentous achievement.”
