Area Description

Living in Sandton guarantees a life surrounded by continuous and rapid development to optimize working and leisure life. Considered as the powerhouse of South Africa, this city is the heart-beat of the nation’s economy- a heart-beat that thrives on fast-paced energy and big living.

Being the business hub of South Africa, the city is home to massive developments to accomodate booming commerce.

At Quoin we understand the importance of catering to market needs, we therefore offer comprehensive commercial and industrial listings that provide convenience and quality.

‘The Green City’ leader in positive change

New Green Developments- Leads the Way

There are many revolutionary office buildings scheduled to be built in Sandton Central including a multi-million rand new Discovery head-office which will be designed as a 5 Star Green Star SA building, Sasol’s new global head-quarters and Alice Lane Phase III. Both the Discovery and Sasol head office buildings are set to become the largest “green” building developments in Africa and will add to the list of landmarks in the city.

The Discovery Head office will take in its first occupants in January 2018 and will cost over R2.5 Billion. The 87 000 sqm development will be built in Sandton Central, on the corner of Katherine Street and Rivonia Road. The architectural design will feature two wings with eight floors of offices plus a ground floor and nine basements with over 5 100 parking bays.

The new Sasol global headquarters is currently under construction. Its design takes the shape of ‘s’ and will accommodate 4 500 employees and visitors.

According to latest reports from the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) office rental spaces has swelled to a 10-year high of 14.2%m over the past two to three years, new developments in Sandton have surged especially around the Gautrain. Most of the vacancies available are from these innovative new buildings.

The report further goes on to state that over the past year the number of unlet prime space has grown from 200- sqm to 54000 sqm. Impressively, an estimated 258 000 sqm of office space is currently under construction or in the pipeline in Sandton.

The First Green Building in the Continent

Being one of the most cutting edge cities in Africa, it is leading the way in “green living”.

The Sandton node is home to one of the largest clusters of green rated buildings when compared to other CBD’s around Africa, with more than 20 certified projects by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). In fact, the first Green Star SA rated building in the country was certified in Sandton in 2009. This building was Nedbank Phase II and features a sustainable rainwater harvesting system and blackwater treatment system, highly efficient water settings and fixtures and, an energy efficient lighting system. The blackwater treatment systems and the rainwater harvesting system provide recycled water for irrigation, toilet flushing and cooling towers. The water efficient plumbing decreases outflows to the sewerage system by an impressive 50%.

Evolution of the transport system

Transport seeks to “bridge” the economic divide

Sandton, also known as Africa’s richest mile is currently undergoing development in its transport system that aims to streamline commute between Alexandra and Sandton by 2017.

Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) began construction in March 2015 and a bridge has already been built running across the M1 and connects Alexandra (South Africa’s oldest townships) to the commercial hub.

BRT is a pivotal piece of the city’s Corridors of Freedom initiative. The initiative seeks to create strategic arteries assimilating various modes of transport and linking mixed-used residential development nodes.

To accommodate the service the City of Johannesburg will dedicate bus lanes in central Johannesburg to Alexandra and from Alexandra to Sandton. These lanes will be completed by November 2016 and will be accompanied by improved and wider pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. The development will create a safer and quicker access to approximately 10 000 people who walk or cycle on the route daily, thus aiming to bridge the economic divide by bringing people closer to the areas of work.

The Future of Sandton

To accommodate the growing number of businesses and elite urban populations, transport arteries will be improved upon and will focus greatly on mixed-used development. Alternative modes of transport will be as viable as private motorised transport, mainly due to dedicated safe routes which include cycling and bus lanes and pedestrian walkways. 

The face of the Sandton CBD is rapidly morphing to become accessible and promote new mass public transports corridors so that traffic jams will be a thing of the past.

The Gautrain

In conjunction with BRT, The Gautrain strives to provide a convenient commute for both locals and tourists. The luxury railway fleet runs from 10 stations through Johannesburg and Pretoria, including Johannesburg Park Station, OR Tambo International Airport and Pretoria Station. It passes through the busiest parts of the metropolis, providing effortless access to the commercial, retail and entertainment hubs.

South Africa’s ‘Engine Room’

Approximately 10 000 businesses ply their trade in Sandton and many are the country’s leading investment banks and corporate head offices including Mcdonalds, Nokia, Toyota and Coca-Cola. The city is home to the largest stock exchange on the continent- The Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

It was founded in 1887 after the discovery of gold in 1886 and today it is responsible for hundreds of listed companies with a market net worth in the Billions. Dubbed “The engine room” of the South African economy it contributes to 17% of the country’s GDP.

Banking and corporate sectors richly grow its local economy. Technological advancements such as modern information and communication technology is on the rise. This growing trend firmly places Sandton as a global competitor especially in the outsourcing industry which is currently booming with high profit yielding call centres. Its exponential rise as a business hub was directly influenced by its ability to substantially accommodate business people.

Towering over upmarket Johannesburg and piercing through skylines- hotels and executive apartments dominate the landscape and offers premium amenities catering to the unique needs of business people.

History

The history of Sandton’s massive growth dates back to 1994, at the end of Apartheid. At this time the financial and business sectors began transforming into the giants they are today. Post-1994 saw many big corporate businesses moving from the Johannesburg district to Sandton and as the area grew economically, new companies integrated into the community- companies such as, Ster-Kinekor, Massmart and IBM.

We at Quoin strive for finding your perfect office space in Sandton. Visit our online site to find out more about our comprehensive listings.