Update 3/9/16 – XtraSpace Self Storage has opened another facility featuring flexible, co-working office space and business services in addition to self-storage. The development is in Pietermaritzburg, the capital city of the KwaZulu-Natal province in the South African midlands. The asset is in the Victoria Country Club Estate in the Montrose area and is the third XtraSpace location in the city, according to a company press release.
“Collaborative or serviced workspaces are becoming an increasingly popular option for entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Abri Schneider, CEO of XtraSpace. “Technology has changed the way we work and enabled a flexible way of working that breaks free of the nine-to-five mentality.”
The storage units reserved for office tenants are 7 square meters.
Schneider is confident the Montrose location will appeal to entrepreneurs due to the beauty of the country club’s natural surroundings, a golf course and its proximity to downtown Pietermaritzburg. The city is also strategically positioned for trade between Durban and Johannesburg, the release stated.
“[Pietermaritzburg] has a robust manufacturing economy that is involved in exporting products. Property and retail are booming. It’s also an agricultural hub and professionals in the city provide services to the Midlands,” Schneider said. “We absolutely believe that the positive economic environment will continue to attract investors and business, and we want to be part of the growth of this city by offering storage and office-space solutions.”
2/9/16 – XtraSpace Self Storage, which operates nearly 20 locations in South Africa, is developing a facility in Wynberg that will offer flexible, co-working office space and business services in addition to self-storage. Called One Chadwick Co-Working Space, the facility will target startups and small businesses and is designed to capitalize on the growing trend of collaborative and flexi-space business settings, according to a company press release.
“What makes One Chadwick special is our unique combination of services, which enables the small business owner or entrepreneur to have his office, warehouse and logistics service all under one roof,” said Colleen Mansour, chief operating officer. “It’s a turnkey solution for entrepreneurs, helping equip them with everything they need to grow their businesses.”
The facility will offer 50 serviced offices with a reception area, business center, concierge and fully equipped event space. Customers will have access to board rooms, high-speed Internet, meeting rooms and shipping services with a local and international courier service, according to the release. The main board room will offer video conferencing. In addition, the facility will include 250 storage units and offer the company’s SpaceBox valet-storage services. Cake, coffee, muffins and light meals will also be available.
XtraSpace believes One Chadwick will be indicative of the office spaces of the future. The company cited a PricewaterhouseCoopers study that indicated human-resources professionals predict 20 percent of the workforce will be comprised of contractors and temporary workers by 2022.
“If startups want to get on with business, they simply don’t have time to worry about a courier service or whether the video-conferencing facilities are working,” said Mari Schourie, CEO of XtraSpace FlexiOffice. “So it’s not surprising that co-work spaces are taking off around the world. Our intention is to take the hassle out of running an office. The world of work is changing so fast that we need to offer entrepreneurs and businesses five-star options and services that allow them to get on with building their businesses. Advances in technology mean we can do this now and seamlessly service a vibrant, innovative entrepreneurial community.”
XtraSpace operates 19 self-storage facilities in the South African provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. In addition to traditional self-storage space, the company’s locations offer business centers with flexible offices for small and mid-sized companies, meeting rooms, free Internet, and copying and fax facilities. The company also offers domestic and international courier services. It launched its SpaceBox service last year.
