BusinessTravel Guide
SANDTON
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The beating heart of South African business
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Sandton
World renowned as the richest square mile in Africa, the financial hub of Johannesburg is one of the most prestigious destinations to visit across the continent Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Jordan Levey
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onsidered to be at the very heart of South Africa’s financial industry, Sandton, Johannesburg has become the continental home of many of the world’s leading investment banks and financial institutions. Since the 1990s when this shift began, Sandton’s local tourism has become increasingly driven by this businesscentric culture, attracting entrepreneurs and major corporations from all around the world to South Africa.
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As the leading professional district of not only South Africa but arguably the wider region as a whole, Sandton features premier office space and towering structures that include the iconic Michelangelo Towers and Sandton City Spire. Further, the influx of major corporations and wealth has so too brought with it a thriving commercial sector, with Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square both posing as two of Africa’s most illustrious retail complexes. Combined, the two consist
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of 200 shops and 59 restaurants, whilst Sandton City also offers an 11-screen cinema complex. Presenting a vast variety of some of the country’s best hotels alongside this, Sandton has just about everything South Africa has to offer in the way of an upmarket lifestyle. In fact, the city was recognised as Emerging Destination of the year in the 2017 Luxury Travel Guide Awards for the African and Middle East region.
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FACTS & FIGURES Sandton
Country: Languages: Area: Population (2011): Currency: Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: Highest recorded temperature:
South Africa English, Afrikaans, isiZulu 143.54 square kilometres 222,415 South African rand (ZAR) GMT+2 +27 .za 38 degrees Celsius
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The Business End STANDING AS THE country’s financial hub, the likes of Investec, EY, Deloitte, Alexander Forbes, Thomson Reuters, PwC, KPMG, Citi and Barclays all occupy Sandton with their own regional offices, highlighting the bustling professional scene. Such a crowd of big name companies has brought with it a flourishing technology scene, evident with the presence of IBM, Huawei, HCL Technologies and Hewlett Packard, amongst others. With such a substantial presence of the world’s largest firms across some of the most influential sectors, it is easy to see why Sandton is renowned as the richest square mile across the whole of Africa, having gradually been transformed into a trendy and
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prestigious global business hub. Such status is no better reflected than in the Sandton Convention Centre – one of the continent’s premium international conference centres. Fittingly, the centre is set to host the upcoming Leaderex expo on 4 September, the largest gathering of corporate leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs across Africa. Further, according to AfrAsia Bank’s 2018 South Africa Wealth Report, Johannesburg accounts for 20 percent of South Africa’s total GDP, much of which is derived from Sandton itself. According to New World Health, the city, inclusive of Sandton, has approximately 18,400 residential millionaires.
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Michelangelo Apartments in Sandton
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S A N D T O N
Sandton Tourism Association SANDTON TOURISM ASSOCIATION was borne as a conduit to feed business to the Sandton Convention Centre in the year 2000. Alida Canevari is the organisation’s Chairperson. We asked her about the work the association is doing and what the future has in store for Sandton.
management committee who are all senior executives in the tourism and related industries. They all bring great value and input into the Association. We are currently changing our name to include “Business” – Sandton Tourism and Business Association – as we have evolved over the years to include doing business with our stakeholders.
Africa Outlook (AfO): Since inception, how has the Sandton Tourism Association developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across? Alida Canevari (AC): Our membership has grown to include more than just tourism businesses and encompasses all companies that operate into or through the greater Sandton node. I would like to highlight that our membership goes out as far as The Cradle of Mankind. We have developed our
“We are absolutely delighted at how we have managed this sought-after tourism body, and our tagline of Work, Stay, Play or Shop...”
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AfO: How would you say Sandton has developed in recent years as a business travel hub and what are the key reasons behind its growing appeal? AC: The key reason behind its growing appeal is that it’s the richest square mile in Africa - all blue-chip companies have offices or headquarters in Sandton. It’s central in Gauteng and is easily accessible from OR Tambo via highways and the Gautrain. AfO: Taking a more general industry stance, how would you evaluate the tourism sector in Sandton now compared to its condition when the Tourism Association began? AC: The amount of hotels that have been built over the years, the efficiency of the Gautrain Station, and the development that has taken place in Sandton all bear credence to how the area has grown since 2000.
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Our involvement with The Sandton Central Management District as well as with Sandton SAPS, Sandton CPF and our own portfolio has been instrumental in working towards a centralised security initiative in Sandton. We regard this with such importance that we have seconded one of our management committee members to handle the security portfolio for us. We are absolutely delighted at how we have managed this sought-after tourism body, and our tagline of Work, Stay, Play or Shop in Sandton is indicative of everything that is available for people to do in the precinct. AfO: What are the core industry trends dictating the Tourism Association’s investments and initiatives at present? AC: We have identified the need for corporate social responsibility. We’re in the “work in progress” mode now and have sought advice from blue chip companies in Sandton like Investec. At our recent annual general meeting,
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“The expansion and growth in the area currently is already a tell-tale sign of the huge opportunities that exist in the next few years” we were delighted to have Setlogane Manchidi, who heads up CSI at Investec, as one of our guest speakers. Eco-friendliness and sustainability would not be issues for Sandton Tourism Association per se; they would be initiatives that our members pursue, and we would do all in our power to encourage them to look at best practice. To clarify why it does not affect us directly – as STA we are a ‘governing’ body for members.
AfO: If we were to speak again in three-five years’ time, what progress and development would you hope and expect to be able to report back? AC: The expansion and growth in the area currently is already a telltale sign of the huge opportunities that exist in the next few years. The hospitality industry in particular is busy with new build hotels and refurbishment to current hotels. Our aim is to change the mindset of the international visitors that staying at the airport for one or two nights is not necessary as Sandton has so much to offer. It’s not just another CBD. It is forever active, energised and exciting. The corporate sector too will affect the entire greater Sandton area, as it becomes the place where the rest of Africa will be conducting their business. I am also of the belief that in the next couple of years, Sandton will not just be Sandton but rather a destination.
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Out & About SANDTON OFFERS SOME of the widest choices of cuisine across South Africa. Johannesburg airport is one of the entire continent’s key international hubs, helping to facilitate and promote a multicultural society, reflected amongst Sandton’s broad range of international choices and big brand restaurant chains. Meanwhile, the Gauteng province also boasts of some of the best in Sub-Saharan cooking, with Sandton offering a colourful and vibrant street food scene that specialises in local delicacies such as boerewors rolls, morogo, chakalaka, trip and amadumbe for those looking to
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immerse themselves in the country’s wider culture. In fact, 2016 saw Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre in Sandton became the home of Johannesburg’s first food truck park. In the way of things to do, Sandton is in close distance of both central Johannesburg and Pretoria, providing visitors with access to a variety of activities and excursions around the region. Alongside a host of museums, its just a short trip away from the Neighbourgoods Market, Rosebank Sunday Market and African Craft Market of Rosebank in Johannesburg.
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Sandton offers colourful and vibrant street food
South Africa is a country often famed for its beautiful scenery – evident with the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, whilst a truly insightful and heartfelt history lesson can be learned through a visit to the Liliesleaf Farm & Museum – all places that are in and around Sandton.
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ELEGANT & intimate
ACCOMMODATION IN SANDTON The Quatermain and Falstaff Faircity Hotels are intimate and elegant hotels hidden in the peaceful suburb of Morningside in Sandton. The beautiful gardens and sparkling pool provide a surprising escape just a stone’s throw from the Sandton Gautrain station, Sandton Convention Centre, major highways, shopping centres and restaurants. c en t r a l r e servat ion s : +27 ( 0) 10 001 9495 • r e servat ion s @ fai rc i t y. c o . za w w w. fa i rc i t y. c o . za
Transport Links SANDTON IS A major stop on Gauteng’s state-of-the-art rapid rail network, the Gautrain. The renowned metro line connects Sandton with efficient and regular access to Pretoria, Johannesburg city centre, and Tambo International Airport, travelling at speeds of up to 180 kilometres per hour and operating 18 hours per day. Alternatively, the region has a substantial taxi industry that includes the presence of Uber, alongside dedicated cycling routes that were newly introduced in 2015 during the EcoMobility Festival. Sandton will also soon be provided with even better access to public transport through the Rea Vaya transport project, an initiative that is being run by the City of Johannesburg
Gautrain, high speed train traveling from OR Tambo International Airport to Pretoria, South Africa
and has been endorsed by South Africa’s National Department of Transport. Rea Vaya will see buses running along dedicated routes to ensure a more efficient services, encouraging people to use public transport more readily to create more jobs, reduce the city’s carbon footprint and congestion on public roads.
Further, three more bridges are being constructed to better connect Sandton Central with the region’s surrounding areas. The plan is for the project to cover 330 kilometres of routes, providing a minimum of 80 percent of Johannesburg’s population with access to buses.
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Outlook Recommends “Just 50 years ago Sandton’s Central Business District was little more than rolling farmland. Nowadays however it is the economic hub of South Africa.” - Gauteng.net
HOSPITALITY
CULTURAL SITES
Faircity Quartermain Hotel
Constitution Hill
FOOD & DRINK Asanka Hilton Sandton
Epicure Pigalle
The Michelangelo Hotel ACTIVITIES Montecasino Nelson Mandela Square Johannesburg Botanical Gardens 10
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Liliesleaf Farm & Museum
Apartheid Museum
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Landmark Attractions
Liliesleaf Farm & Museum, Constitution Hill epitomises much of South Africa’s history – a history that has been pivotal in defining social trends globally during the past 70 years. Nelson Mandela himself and many other freedom fighters served some of their sentences here, whilst the city’s Apartheid Museum provides an indepth look at one of the most defining times in South Africa’s history. PHOTO: PASCAL KOBEH
ALONGSIDE SANDTON’S STANDOUT structures that include the Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton City, Nelson Mandela Square, Michelangelo Towers and Sandton City Spire, the city has a host of iconic landmarks. One example of this is the Montecasino. Standing as an impressive structure stretching across 26 hectares of land, the building is home to one of Gauteng’s most impressive entertainment centres with a 1,700-slot machine casino, 40 restaurants, three nightlife venues, a 15-screen cinema and two top class theatres all contained within its walls. From its high-end commercial city centre, Sandton has the cultural prestige to match. Alongside the
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BusinessTravel Guide joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 676
ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 672
jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com
+44 (0)1603 959 668
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