Commercial Space Guide: Relocating your Office to Cape Town

Despite the pandemic, Cape Town has grown tremendously over the past few years, as a wave of semigration sees business owners from around the country relocating to the Mother City in their thousands. Also regarded as the best place in Africa to be a digital nomad, Cape Town offers an exciting and vibrant nomadic scene, with expats everywhere.

As a business owner in the process of relocating your business and office to Cape Town, we know your first priority is to hit the ground running as you shift your operations to a more stable city that’s quite different in many ways from other parts of the country.

From choosing the ideal office space to business networking and getting used to Cape Town’s unique commercial climate, this guide for business owners and executives will take you through every important step on the path to settling in and prospering in South Africa’s most desirable metro.

Welcome to Cape Town: South Africa’s premier business city

If you’re planning to relocate your business to Cape Town (or if you’ve made the move already) you’re probably looking forward to the coastal lifestyle, the vibrant and diverse buzz that Cape Town offers, and superior service delivery that the city has become famous for.

Choosing Cape Town as a base for your commercial enterprise means investing in some very attractive features such as:

A city that has undergone a total rejuvenation and attracts a huge number of new entrepreneurs
A diverse economy with vibrant tourism, property, and tech sectors and a positive growth outlook
A local government that is proactive in maintaining high service delivery standards for the business community while developing the less fortunate parts of the city in turn

As a commercial property directory specialising in the Cape Town region, and professional agents of commercial and industrial property for sale and office rental services to a large portfolio of clients in the Cape Peninsula, the Commercial Space team would like to welcome you to the Mother City, both as a fellow business person and a potential client.

Before we get down to business, let’s get yours up and running right here. Here’s the basic information you’ll need to reap the benefits of locating your business in Cape Town.

Cape Town’s unique culture and style of business

One of the first things that semigrants to Cape Town may notice is that the city operates at a slightly more laid-back pace than metros like Johannesburg.

The Mother City means business – but she goes about it at her own graceful pace.

Business owners may find Cape Town’s pace to be a small adjustment at first, but the city offers stability and a sense of community in place of rushed interactions.
Doing business in Cape Town is about forging lasting relationships and understanding the history and heritage of the city’s diverse people.
Environmental consciousness, social action, and historical preservation are always important issues on the Cape Town business agenda.

Joining funding efforts to save rare species, clean up the local beaches, or provide meals for the needy can pay dividends in the form of new business contacts and building a brand that has a prominent, respected image in the city – not to mention scoring highly on ESGs.

Where to open your doors: trending commercial districts in Cape Town

Relocating your business to a new city can be daunting when you don’t know the lay of the land – but luckily, our team of commercial space area specialists know it better than most.

Let’s explore the city’s best commercial districts and find a location that’s ideal for your business.

With a population of over 3 million, Cape Town has a variety of dynamic business districts.

Each of these has its own unique characteristics and proximity to key locations like Cape Town International Airport, the CBD, and various residential areas where business owners may want to live, including the Atlantic seaboard, Blouberg, and the southern suburbs.

The CBD: A classic revived

Traditionally, commercial activity in the city was concentrated in the centre of town, and the CBD’s total transformation over the past 20 years has allowed this region to maintain its reputation as the premier place to do business.

Several new developments in the Foreshore area, including Cape Town’s newest skyscraper the Portside Tower, which just opened its latest phase for rental and purchase, add to downtown Cape Town’s strong commercial reputation.
Corporates, law firms, and a variety of retail businesses and fine dining restaurants are all regular features of the CBD, with SMEs and professionals using shared workspaces completing the tenant population.

In addition to the CBD, several dynamic new business districts have grown over the past few years, most notably, Claremont, and Century City, the self-contained residential and business hub.

Century City: The future has arrived

Around the world, urban planning has begun to be centred around the concept of the 15 minute city. Metropolitan areas around the world are striving to become places where people can live, work, and play with all the amenities and essentials of daily life available to them within a 15 minute walk or bicycle ride.

By this definition, Century City has been ahead of the curve for years.

Located at the halfway point between the CBD and the northern suburbs, Century City offers a wide selection of residential and commercial property options.
The area features a balance of modern high-rise buildings and beautiful green spaces that promote wellness and relaxation.
Century City has become a go-to location for tech businesses, as well as finance and consulting firms.

A modern, safe, and visually appealing environment creates an ideal atmosphere for productivity, while client meetings can be conducted with a scenic backdrop of table mountain.

Recently, a number of sought-after developments including Ratanga Park and Bridgewater have been launched in the area, increasing the stock of top-tier rental office space available to businesses.

We are proud to offer office units at Bridgeway, Grosvenor Square, and the Quays among other premier developments in Century City.

With sought-after office space, luxury residential accommodation, a huge selection of retail options available at the Canal Walk mall, and beautiful green spaces all within a short walk of each other, business owners relocating to Century City can truly experience the convenience and 21st-century lifestyle of a 15 minute city – and it’s just another 15 minutes by road to the airport.

Banking, wealth management, and business networking in Cape Town

For business owners relocating to Cape Town from other parts of the country, there’s not a huge difference when it comes to banking and financial services.

However, business owners relocating from overseas will need to familiarise themselves with South African banking regulations and go through extra steps to register personal and business bank accounts.

Cape Town is home to many experienced wealth management, and financial planning professionals who can help business owners to maximise their profitability and ensure a smooth full-time transition to the Western Cape.

Business networking is essential for newcomers to the Mother City. Even if the majority of your clients are based in Gauteng or overseas, you want to make contact with local entrepreneurs and expand your network.

A business association like the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an excellent place to meet fellow business people, explore opportunities and attend informative seminars to help you achieve your strategic business goals in Cape Town.

A great source of information for investors exporters, and large corporates, WESGRO is a business and investment promotion agency set up by the City of Cape Town to provide reliable business information about the city and the many opportunities it has to offer.

Finding the ideal Cape Town office space

No matter what size your business and investment in Cape Town may be, starting your new life and work in the Mother City is always easier with the right office space.

The Commercial Space team has decades of experience matching businesses with premises that suit their current and growing needs. Contact us today to begin your search for the ideal commercial property.