Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa February/ March 2020 | Page 12

MASTER INVESTOR
IWG WORKSPACE
In South Africa, the coworking space growth over recent
years is growing exponentially since its inception in the early
2000s. “Appetite for flexible working is strong across Africa and
the globe. Working in different locations is now accepted as
the ‘new normal’ by almost half of businesspeople globally and
professionals are even prioritising flexible working as a benefit
when choosing their job.”
“My philosophy on
franchising is that a franchise
brand is only as strong as the
value that the franchisees can
realise from the relationship.”
According to the IWG Global Workspace Survey, 85% of
respondents confirm that productivity has increased in their
business as a result of greater flexibility and this trend will most
likely continue. “This makes the serviced office market one of
the most exciting new growth opportunities in the franchise
sector, with three in ten buildings on every high street offering
a new franchise opportunity in the coming years. Demand
for temporary offices, meeting rooms and coworking areas
is growing exponentially as the workforce diversifies and
globalises. There is no better time to transform the untapped
potential of this fast-growing market into exceptional returns.”
10
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 SA Real Estate Investor Magazine
According to van der Westhuizen, South Africa is leading
the serviced office sector in the continent of Africa with the
largest and most mature market. In addition, the demand
for workplace flexibility is increasing. The demand is driven
by both employees and employers, customers and cost-
conscious accountants. The Franchise Sales Director and Head
of Partnership Growth in SA believes that building a quality,
flexible workspace offering requires trust and support.
IWG works closely with its franchisees, ensuring they
have a framework to find the right location and design, and
that they are able to grow their market footprint which is
backed by “world-class operational and marketing support,
and that they have the quality, global customer service IWG
is known for.”
IWG understands the market and understands their customers’
needs, having developed their business model through many
economic cycles and for over 20 years in South Africa.
“Their proven and demonstrably successful operating model,
together with their experienced franchising teams, provides
prospective investors with the underpinning for a highly
attractive return on investment. As part of its new franchise
programme, IWG offers the comprehensive infrastructure to
support franchisees throughout the lifecycle of their investment.
The global IWG franchise team works closely with its franchisees
to ensure they have all the support they need to succeed.
IWG is the first flexible workspace provider to offer a franchise
opportunity to expert partners,” says van der Westhuizen.