Retail & Hospitality Property News South Africa

Growthpoint partners OPEN in new co-working locations

JSE-listed REIT Growthpoint Properties has partnered with local co-working space providers OPEN in a 50/50 joint venture to grow a network of co-working spaces across South Africa.
Norbert Sasse, CEO of Growthpoint Properties
Norbert Sasse, CEO of Growthpoint Properties

The joint venture’s first new co-working space will open in Sandton Central this July at Growthpoint’s 138 West Street office building, across the road from Sandton Gautrain Station.

Commenting on the joint venture, Norbert Sasse, CEO of Growthpoint Properties, says: “This partnership combines and amplifies Growthpoint’s and OPEN’s shared passion for nurturing and growing business in South Africa with innovative and sustainable property solutions. It creates incubator spaces for thriving businesses and tomorrow’s office users.”

Sasse adds: “Our new venture with OPEN gives our clients access to the forefront of the booming co-working trend. It adds diversity to our office space and ensures we can offer optimised office space to everyone, whatever the size or phase of their business.”

Inclusive collaborative workspaces

Paul Keursten, co-founder of OPEN, explains: “The demand for co-working spaces is growing and this partnership provides a genuine response, with beautiful and inclusive collaborative workspaces. OPEN and Growthpoint’s co-working spaces are platforms for developing entrepreneurship and businesses. They are ecosystems that foster productivity, creativity, innovation, ideas and collaborative working in a thriving community.”

OPEN co-owners Paul Keursten, Mark Seftel and Westleigh Wilkinson
OPEN co-owners Paul Keursten, Mark Seftel and Westleigh Wilkinson

The eight new co-working locations planned for the next three years will each be around 2,000m2, and have a coffee bar with public access, meeting and seminar facilities, member areas with hot desking, dedicated desk and team spaces, and dedicated serviced offices.

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