Sandton Area Profile

SANDTON CENTRAL AT A GLANCE

Sandton

Sandton, located of North of Johannesburg, an area comprising of commercial and retail property. Sandton lays claim to prestigious commercial property such as high-rise office towers and office parks. Various prime retail property developments in Sandton include the super-regional retail centre Sandton City and Office Towers, Sandton Square, The Marc office and retail development along with Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre ensure all retail and convenience needs are catered for.

Nearby amenities in Sandton Central:

• Sandton City Mall
• The Marc Office and Retail Development
• Sandton International Convention Centre
• Mediclinic Morningside
• Garden Court Hotel
• Protea Hotel
• Holiday Inn
• The Balalaika Hotel
• Maslow Hotel
• Radisson Blu Hotel

RECENT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SANDTON CENTRAL

The Leonardo 
Tallest building in Africa - Completion 2020

The Leonardo completed in 2020 is a 55 level mixed-use development in Sandton, located 100 metres from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The building, now the tallest in Africa measures 234 metres and also eclipsing the nearby Sandton City Office Tower being 141 metres. The development provides street level shops leading up to the main above ground reception area with restaurant, meeting rooms and reception areas. The building houses hotel facilities, swimming pool, offices, 232 apartments and features a 3 floor penthouse apartment.

The MARC Office and Retail Development  
Project Size 75,000 sqm - Completion 2019

The MARC located next to the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, is a new green star rated architectural landmark that by creating a pedestrian friendly destination has also transformed surrounding neighbourhood appeal. Developed by Eris Property Group 'The MARC' is an acronym of the address being on Maude and Rivonia Corner. The node comprises 2 office towers, Tower 1 houses the headquarters of law firm ENS as the anchor with various international tenants and local tenants such STRATE having offices at The Marc. Tower 2 features "the jewel" architectural landmark home to Momentum group companies. Besides offices The MARC's 2 retail podium levels feature a range of amenities such as coffee shops, Food Lovers Market, Pick & Pay, Planet Fitness Gym along with signature restaurants such as The Saint.

Discovery Head Office Building         
Project Size 112,000sqm - Completion 2018

Developed in 2018 the Discovery office headquarters in Sandton is the "the largest single-phase commercial office development in Africa" and also achieved a five-star rating from the Green Building Council SA. The building has a roof-top running track along with a gymnasium that can accommodate 3,000 members. Developed at a cost of R3Bn, the building has brought together staff under one roof. Capable of housing thousand employees per floor, with a total of 7,000 employees working from the office. It brings together Discovery's various healthcare, insurance and wellness businesses, which previously operated in four separate office buildings, under one roof.

HISTORY

Sandton is a prominent commercial node located in the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Once a low density peri-urban residential and farming area the growth of the Sandton Node was spurred on by the construction of Sandton City Shopping Centre and Sandton Office Tower by developers Rapp & Maister, Sandton City is now predominantly owned by the Liberty Group and has seen many expansion projects and refurbishment over the years. Interestingly the name Sandton was derived by the combination of Sandton's two main suburbs Sandhurst and Bryanston. 

Historically the Johannesburg City Centre was the commercial centre of the town however the combination of inner city congestion problems, limited parking in certain properties, aging infrastructure and urban decay within the Johannesburg CBD resulted in many banking and corporate offices relocating from to the Sandton CBD in the 1990's. The Johannesburg Securities exchange relocated to Sandton in the late 1990s.

Construction of the Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton Square (renamed Nelson Mandela Square in 2004, continued this trend along with luring Johannesburg's business tourism now being centred in Sandton with hotels such as Southern Sun, Hilton, Radisson, The Maslow and Protea brands. From a banking perspective Sandton is home to the head offices of Rand Merchant Bank, Nedbank, Investec, Bidvest Bank as well as housing FNB call centres. Healthcare giant Discovery's new headquarters and the head office of the multinational petrochemical company Sasol are prominent landmarks. Other notable companies with offices in Sandton CBD include IBM, EY, Alexander Forbes along with law firms ENS, Hogan Lovels, Webber Wentzel, and Bowmans. Recent entrants to the Sandton office market include Game and WeWork both taking up space in refurbished buildings previously occupied by Discovery Health.

SANDTON CENTRAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

The Sandton office and retail node has been further strengthened by the creation of a city improvement district. The district receives funding from property owners within the Sandton CBD and provides additional services such as promotion of safety and tourism, street cleaning and beautification as well as and planning and information services.

TRANSPORT LINKS

Sandton's accessibility by commuting workers, traffic flow and quick link to OR Tambo International Airport was greatly improved with the advent of the Gautrain train service. Sandton Central is also easily accessible using the M1 North & South along Grayston Drive and William Nicol Drive