BALLITO, KWAZULU-NATAL, 03 August 2023 - Entrepreneurs, remote workers and decentralised teams will soon be able to operate from Ballito Junction as Workshop17 prepares to open its first flexible workspace in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mixed-use properties have seen increased demand over the past few years and this trend, combined with the growth of remote working, has resulted in an exciting collaboration between the mall, co-owned by Flanagan & Gerard Group and Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings, and the co-working space provider.
The Ballito Junction refurbishment will also see exciting international brands coming to the KZN North Coast, including Starbucks and Krispy Kreme. Added to this is the new offering of Catia Restaurant, previously Piccadilly Café, with a bespoke dining concept for the Ballito market.
Workshop17 aims to establish beautiful flexible workspaces in South Africa’s main residential nodes, and, with Ballito having grown into an attractive and popular place to live, CEO and co-founder of Workshop17 Paul Keursten says it fits the live-work-play lifestyle that local professionals are looking for. In fact, it is the perfect fit.
“We support convenient and sustainable lifestyles for W17 members, and because our locations are close to where they live and socialise, they can network with local and national communities. Our network of locations across the country also caters for companies that have national footprints or dispersed teams,” says Keursten.
Ballito Junction, he explains, ticks all Workshop17’s boxes. It offers high business visibility, access to instant shopping and restaurants, close proximity to the King Shaka International Airport and the N2, nearby towns, excellent schools and medical facilities, and an amazing outdoor beach lifestyle.
This makes it ideal for Workshop17’s eighth flexible workspace in the country and its tenth in total.
“The pandemic saw a greater adoption of work-from-home routines which have resulted in businesses of all sizes shifting away from traditional offices, working styles and towards more flexible and shared workspaces. People now have more choice than ever before on where and how to work,” Keursten says.
Paul Gerard, Managing Director of Flanagan & Gerard Group, notes that large volumes of people in higher income brackets, including families semigrating from Gauteng, are relocating to the north coast of KZN. They are attracted by the quality of life it offers, its world-class secure estate living and its easy access regionally, nationally and internationally.
“It is this growing movement that inspired the decision to introduce bespoke workspace solutions to the region. We felt the timing was perfect. Many professionals will now be able to have a quality work environment within the North Coast’s premier shopping destination – Ballito Junction,” says Gerard.
Carl Jankowitz, director at Menlyn Maine, explains that Ballito Junction engaged with Workshop17 to create a collaborative work environment that allows like-minded people to be productive together and fosters a sense of community among them.
“Through this partnership, Ballito Junction aims to create a central square for the KZN North Coast. By bringing together flexible workspaces, a variety of shopping options, and the region’s best restaurants and entertainment, Ballito Junction will provide the optimal setting for work and play,” says Jankowitz.
With more than 200 carefully selected stores and six anchor tenants – Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Checkers, Edgars, Game and Nu Metro – Ballito Junction combines convenience with a world-class shopping experience.
Workshop17 creates aesthetic, ergonomic and comfortable workspaces that seamlessly enhance productivity while still allowing for authentic engagement, networking collaborative opportunities and access to diverse business sectors. It also provides high-tech infrastructure and security systems, a vibrant W17 community, and a fully integrated W17 platform that offers a functionality wallet, resource directory platform, and an array of member benefits.
Workshop17 taps into an ever-changing ‘workscape’ by providing its members with service partnerships that make their lives easier and support their entrepreneurial journeys. From its iStore partnership that provides on-site tech support, preferential rates and access to its own iStore consultant to an eBucks SPEND partnership that enables members to pay their invoices, top up their space credits, or buy what they need. Plus, purposeful partnerships support social innovation and impact while still aligning W17 members’ values and resonating with their lifestyles.
The collaboration between Ballito Junction and Workshop17 is an excellent example of how the combination of shopping centres and workspaces can create more engaging, creative, and productive work environments. In addition, it creates space for partnerships with retailers too, which encourages vibrant and larger community-based ecosystems for workers and customers.
“Shared facilities reduce friction and offer easy access to retail outlets and eateries, banking services, medical care, and entertainment. You can now go out for after-work drinks or dinner without having to get into your car,” says Keursten.
Geraldine Jorgensen, CEO of Ballito Junction, adds, “Ballito Junction offers the perfect combination of all this in the heart and centre of Ballito, where work, convenience and leisure can all be seamlessly integrated.”
The opening date for the upgraded and refurbished Ballito Junction is set for 30 November 2023.
