Rivonia Road Developments Continue to Boom

Sandton remains Gauteng’s key commercial hotspot as major commercial developments continue to take place within the area.

 A recent research study conducted by the South African Property Owners Association Office (SAPOA) in the Q4: 2017 indicates that a total of 31% of the country’s new office developments are taking place in Sandton. Although 31% is a decent chunk of the entire country’s commercial development, the percentage is a drop from the Q4: 2016 result which showed Sandton maintain 48% of South Africa’s commercial expansion.

A large number of these new developments are taking place on the prestigious Rivonia Road.
Rivonia Road, which leads directly from the M9, runs between the upmarket suburbs of Rivonia and Edenburg in Sandton. It is already home to prestigious companies such as Oasis Water, Afrihost and FoodBev SETA, the customer service offices of both Eskom and e-toll South Africa as well as the office parks of Chelsea Office Park and Bentley Office Park.

One of the most exciting new developments taking place on Rivonia is a 12-story office block, called The Edge, by Eris Property Group. The Edge is situated in Sandton Summit, a trendy mixed-use precinct with plenty of amenities. The combined office space on offer at The Edge is an impressive 62,000sqm spread across two separate buildings. The Edge hopes to create a unique urban landscape with public walkways, a park and planted balconies. The ground floor has plans to be filled with modern cafes, boardrooms, and green, garden spaces. While some office space in this prime office block is already available, the entire completion of the project is set for some time in 2019.

A recently completed project, which started construction in 2014, is the new Discovery global headquarters. This development is the largest single-phase commercial office development in Africa. The R3bn office block can be found at 1 Discovery Place on the corner of Rivonia Road and Katherine Street, and has been nicknamed 1DP. 

An accolade that the new headquarters have already attained is being named the largest new building to be certified by the Green Building Council of South Africa. This accolade keeps in line with Discovery’s environmentally conscious values, as well as adds additional green status to the internationally accredited, sustainable area of Sandton.

Over 5000 employees have moved from Discovery’s previous premises in West Street to their new headquarters. David Pierre-Eugene, Discovery’s head of group facilities, hopes the move will ease the ache of traffic for Discovery’s commuters.

“Our new location will also be closer to the future BRT stops which should encourage employees to use public transport. [Our] location to the Gautrain is also a benefit as well as our shuttle service,” he said.
The Edge and 1DP are just two of the many new developments and expansions set to take place on Rivonia Road this year. Rivonia Road as well as surrounding suburbs are set to be the perfect commercial zones as they are in close proximity to Sandton’s hub yet conveniently out of the major hustle and bustle.

With many well-known brands calling Rivonia home, and the continued developments on Rivonia Road show that Rivonia is a suburb that is held in high esteem. Rivonia is a fantastic commercial node in the heart of Sandton and there’s hardly a better suburb in Gauteng to operate from. If you are interested in some of the fantastic commercial opportunities currently available in Rivonia, contact an OfficePlace property broker today.