Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa February/ March 2020 | Page 11

ALAN VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
T
his sentiment is shared by Head of Partnership
Growth SA at IWG, Alan van der Westhuizen. For Alan,
boundless visionaries who excel in the work they do
ignite his spark to work hard to keep the standard of his
work extremely high.
“Big thinkers that can bring innovative ideas to the table
excite me, being able to see the opportunity and to activate it
motivates me and planet-friendly, sustainable ideas motivate
me as well.”
Coworking has not always been alienated to human nature.
It has always been common amongst people either in group
projects at the same workplaces like with Van der Westhuizen
who has co-worked with an acquaintance for more than
twenty years in the food and beverages sector, where he co-
managed the day-to-day running of the restaurant.
“After a number of years abroad working in the hospitality
industry, I returned to SA to join a friend and founder of
News Café who had just opened his first store in Pretoria.
Fournews was formed in 1996 and I was responsible for
franchise development in the group since its inception.
My skills vary and range from strategic and operational
management to the financial analysis of franchise brands
and more recently into the development of new brands. I
was also responsible for the appointment of operational
management and have, over the past twenty years,
assembled teams that display the same passion, enthusiasm
and determination that I do.”
“In South Africa, the
coworking space growth
over recent years is growing
exponentially since its
inception in the early 2000s.”
It is through dedication and commitment that Alan van der
Westhuizen decided to expand his expertise in the franchise
industry through to the property sector. A transition that many
might not have thought to be existent.
“After 22 years with Fournews, I left the food and
beverage sector and joined the global market leader in
serviced offices and flexible coworking spaces, IWG. As
Franchise Sales Director and Head of Partnership Growth
in SA, my role is to drive the next phase of growth for IWG
through franchising and seeking sound franchise partners
to grow the Regus and Spaces network in South Africa. My
philosophy on franchising is that a franchise brand is only
as strong as the value that the franchisees can realise from
the relationship.”
Alan is fascinated by innovation and growth, and this is why
he ventured into the coworking space industry in the property
sector. He says he gets excited by the innovation and the
evolution of business in the technological era and therefore
the idea of flexible coworking is quite relevant.
“Although IWG is involved in creating flexible coworking
office space, we are more inclined to say that we are in the
serviced office sector than directly in the property industry. I
joined IWG in April 2019 in the capacity of Head of Partnership
Growth to head up the new franchise division in South Africa.”
In the integrating and evolving property sector, the
Franchise Sales Director and Head of Partnership Growth in
SA has learnt that, “the conventional lease model and the
conventional franchise model are fast becoming a thing
of the past. Tenants and franchisees are looking for more
flexibility and more of a partnership relationship where risk
is shared. They want value and they only want to pay for
the space/services that they use or need. The oversupply of
space, more especially commercial office space, is changing
the property landscape and the way that landlords
negotiate deals.”
The real estate and property sector is slowly making use
of innovative technologies that help shape the way in which
the sector is run by property owners and investors. In the
commercial sector, the use of apps to manage buildings and
tenants has been gaining traction across the industry. This is
among some of the observations of the sector by Alan van der
Westhuizen.
“Although still early days, my view is that Landlords are
looking for new ideas to adapt to an evolving market and
to diversify their income streams. As tenants are looking for
more flexibility, they don’t want to sign long-term contracts
and landlords need to adapt their space. Entering the flexible
workspace industry makes sense and can help them get more
value out of their properties.”
PROFILE
Position: Head of Partnership Growth SA
Company: IWG
Years company has operated: 22 Years in
SA & over 30 years globally.
Age: 48
Education: IMM Marketing Certificate,
Management Advancement Program,
Advanced Franchise Management
Books you are currently reading: The
Enforcers by Caryn Dolley
What is your life motto? Leave the world a
better place than when you came into it.
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
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