Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa November 2019 | Page 47

O
ne of the greatest employment shifts of the last de-
cade has been a jump to the Gig Economy. Flexible
workspaces like Ideas Cartel, In the City and Work-
shop17 have dented Cape Town’s commercial rental model.
Global brands such as WeWork have been likened to Uber
and AirBNB for their stratospheric growth.
It’s no wonder SA residential developers have woken up
to respond to the trend. If homeowners can save money
with a flexible workspace within their estate, up-and-coming
Millennials see immediate value, and increased time and
freedom. This is an intelligent offer in this recession.
The pace of life online is now met by an equal expectation
for work-life balance becoming both a health and success
imperative. South African estates, and not just inner cities, are
waking up to the demand. The answer lies in providing people
with environments and opportunities that allow for enriched
working behaviours and deeper control over the work/life
balance. It lies in creating spaces that allow people to explore
their own ways of working while giving them the tools they
need to work more efficiently.
“With up to 75% of the workforce by 2025
taken-up by the millennial generation,
many leaders are starting to redefine
what work-life balance looks like“
With up to 75% of the workforce by 2025 taken-up by the
millennial generation, many leaders are starting to redefine
what work-life balance looks like. In South Africa, the rise of the
residential estate may be unique to the climate and culture, but
it also introduces a unique opportunity.
It is a chance to blend the stylish and secure living
environment with lush scenery, running trails, bike tracks, lakes
and typically beautiful South African vistas, with flexible and
dynamic workspaces that allow access to home and business
on demand. Instead of employees leaving their estates, sitting
in stressful traffic, arriving in traditional offices, dealing with
traditional workplace stress, and sitting in traffic to return
home, they simply walk across the road.
It’s a concept that has clear precedent in the rising trend
of people working from home or small businesses adopting
flexible workspaces as their professional base of operations.
It just takes the idea one step further. Imagine going to work
without having to dodge taxis and 4x4s.
Instead, the commute is a short cycle or stroll across
gardens and landscapes to an open, flexible workspace
on the residential estate, but designed for the professional
business and person by providing immediate while supporting
mindfulness.
Burnout has become an officially recognised disease,
defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its
International Classification of Diseases database in 2019 and
cemented as an accepted condition affecting the lives of
employees and the productivity of organisations. Described
as a syndrome, WHO says burnout comes about from ‘chronic
workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’.
The first Chief Mindfulness Officer (CMO) was appointed in
the USA in 2015 and one of the world’s most high-powered
law firms, Dentons, appointed their own CMO early in 2019,
with Amazon, Nike and Google also hot on the mindfulness
trail. The goal is to create workspaces that are conducive to
productivity while reducing stress and improving quality of life.
These mindfulness officers and the mindfulness programs
used by many organisations share specific qualities. They focus
on where you eat, on physical exercise, on meditation, and
on visually appealing spaces. They also have proven results
in building confidence, enhancing decision making, creating
stronger teams, and driving positive wellbeing.
“As more and more organisations
become aware of the importance of
providing the right working conditions
for their employees, estates that provide
this level of holistic living and working
are opening new opportunities”
In Somerset West, a new development, Eastwood at
Somerset Lakes, is introducing a concept called the Eastwood
Club that blends secure estate living with bike tracks, running
trails, picnic spots and lakes with the modern requirements
of the thriving business. The Club has hot desks, boardrooms,
fibre connectivity and workspaces with views, it is also within
travelling distance of homes and entertainment areas that
allow for people to take a break in natural surroundings.
Managers, gig economy workers, entrepreneurs and
startups can all use the space to build their businesses while
simultaneously achieving that elusive work/life balance. Over
and above affordability, tenants can network, run, cycle,
meditate, and enjoy meals in an area that’s known for its
outstanding natural beauty. They can also do so without traffic,
fighting for parking, wrestling with politics around the half-
empty water cooler, and the stress that comes with the daily
commute. Prices start at R850 000.
As more and more organisations become aware of the
importance of providing the right working conditions for their
employees, estates that provide this level of holistic living
and working are opening new opportunities. Many South
African businesses are entrenched in traditional systems and
processes, but as science steadily gains confidence within the
corporate arena, attitudes will change and workplace trends
will adapt.
Defined as the workplace of the future, estates are now
creatively integrating business hubs to provide residents with
secure, relevant and modern working spaces, becoming a
mark of innovative spirit for locals which caters for work and
professional lifestyle living at its best.
SOURCE Mediaweb
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
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