Sandton Central in northern Johannesburg is where the money is. Not only is the area home to South Africa's stock exchange, but financial services giants such as FirstRand, Nedbank and Investec are all located in the area.

And if this is where the money is being made, it is also most definitely where it is being spent, at designer stores in Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, and at numerous luxury hotels and restaurants.

Sandton Central is unapologetic about its upper-class status, despite its proximity to Alexandra township.

"We are not scared to say that we are the seven-star offering of Johannesburg. We can't pretend to be different from what we are," says Sandton Central marketing manager Cara Reilly.

"We have top local and international businesses as residents, our five-star hotels are within one kilometre of each other and the Sandton Convention Centre has established itself as a world-class conference venue. Our shopping and restaurant facilities are unrivalled, and we are not afraid to boast about this."

But at the same time, Sandton Central is keenly aware of the challenges faced by neighbour Alexandra and is doing what it can to form linkages and uplift its citizens.

"One of these initiatives is a joint effort with other areas in Region 3 to come up with learnership-based programmes that will result in the creation of a preferred work centre for Alexandra," says Reilly.

What this means is that when companies based in the Sandton Central area require staff, their first port of call would be the Alexandra centre, which would be run as an independent business.

"We know that many of our property owners are intent on empowering the people of Alex, but they do not know how to go about it. This offers a simple way to link our businesses in Sandton Central with potential workers in Alex. Already Sandton City has an arrangement with its service providers to source staff from the township."

Such efforts will take time to yield results.

"It has been a very slow process but we are committed to doing it right. And let's be clear, this is not about charity, but rather about providing our neighbours with meaningful opportunities."

Sandton Central is made up of three city improvement districts (CIDs), bound by Sandton Drive, Katherine Street into Wierda Road East and West, up West Street, along Rivonia Road and including the Grayston Drive boundary. CIDs are defined geographical areas within which property owners agree to pay for supplementary and complementary services that will enhance the physical and social environment of the area.

"The commercial property owners in the area pay a levy which allows us to provide that 'something extra'. As council is unable to meet property owners' expectations for added services, the CID legislation offers a management tool whereby we can supplement the council's services and meet the high standards required by our property owners," says Reilly.

"For example, council is unable to sweep the streets every day, and we therefore have a team of cleaning and maintenance staff focused on keeping Sandton Central neat and tidy." Other supplementary services include crime prevention, landscaping and trader and taxi management.

"The creation of CIDs also offers areas the opportunity to brand themselves, with Sandton Central positioning itself as 'a global enterprising hub'.

"Branding can result in nodes competing with each other and pitting one against the other. However, we see nodal branding as a positive phenomenon, allowing for the existence of all types of experiences. We acknowledge that. We cannot exist in isolation, and we form an integral part of the City of Johannesburg.

"I see one of Sandton Central's future roles as interconnecting with other tourism opportunities in Johannesburg - including those in Alexandra, Soweto and the Cradle of Humankind, northwest of Johannesburg," says Reilly.

She says there are still some negative perceptions surrounding Sandton Central.

"Sandton Central has been accused of being a soulless, money driven place and we are working to inject more warmth and atmosphere. The main focus of this work is the implementation of a public arts programme, focused on positively impacting on the entire culture of the area," says Reilly.

"We are already seeing more people walking through the streets at lunchtime and there is definitely more of a vibe out there.

"The development of more green spaces is also on our radar screens," she says.

Reilly says Sandton is working with the Johannesburg Development Agency and private-sector engineering consultants on the nodal transport system around the Gautrain precinct.

The Gautrain will provide a direct line from Sandton Central to Johannesburg International Airport, in addition to the main line from Pretoria on which Sandton Central will be one of the stops on the train's route to Park Station in central Johannesburg.

Business Times
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge