Why we moved our businesses to Africaworks

March 2023, Cape Town, South Africa

As owners of 2 companies, the decisions we had to make during the pandemic were daunting. Similar to many businesses, we started questioning what used to be unquestionable overheads, such as storage, stock and still the most talked about line of them all – office space.

Our small but busy team has always been regarded as a ‘friend’ in industry so we’ve never been shy of larger companies asking us if we’d like to sub-let or share an office. We enjoy the water cooler conversations with people from other companies, exchanging ideas in the process and making new friends. Working in the same space as other companies has never been an issue for us. It’s something myself and Nicola, business partners of over 11 years got used to and still enjoy today.

We used to sub-let in a trendy office block conversion that attracted boutique businesses and all sorts of agencies. Our growing team enjoyed a sense of success working in amongst Cape Town’s hottest companies. Despite the rising security concerns in the area, we enjoyed the buzz and rode the 9-5 on our sub-let mezzanine level. That was, until March 2020 when the world changed the way the way we work. Forever.

Firecracker Events & Marketing was 8 years old at the time. Our team made a very loud and conscious decision that the pandemic wasn’t going to beat us. But that meant we had to adapt, and do so very quickly. We were also carrying a second start up business, Africa Scotland Business Network, which was literally 3 months old at the time.

In April 2020, we moved out of our office.

Both businesses survived the pandemic.

In 2021, we started missing the water cooler conversations. And each other. The moments of impromptu human engagement which spark so many ideas, trails of thought and curiosity that we had once taken for granted, became part of a bigger realisation…. we rely on the office to provide us with social and commercial prosperity.

Due to the uncertainty in our industries at the time, we were reluctant to rent a big office. We looked for a co-working space with the options of moving into a private space in the future. We went to view Africaworks in Cape Town and cancelled the other office viewings.   

in late 2021 we moved our businesses into Africaworks. Today, we remain a happy customer and haven't looked back. Here’s what we love about Africaworks and why we decided to drop the anchors and move our team into this premises:

1. CULTURE

The culture is positive, progressive and relaxed. We align with the feeling you get when you walk into Africaworks. We're living in times where younger business owners in particular look for a culture fit and shared values with brands and associations. We identified with the Africaworks brand, leadership, language and style of management.

2. MANAGEMENT

The office premises is well managed by a team of friendly individuals. Abdul, Managing Director, Southern Africa at Africaworks, looks after us in the Cape Town office. He is always helpful, attentive to tenants’ needs’ and someone you can enjoy a decent conversation with at the coffee machine. The office is always spotless, maintained to the highest standards and on special occasions, we often find ourselves with a surprise chocolate on our desks from the team.

3. AFRICA WIDE LOCATIONS

Africaworks is expanding rapidly with office locations across the continents. We enjoy feeling part of another larger continental community of like-minded companies. Our Cape Town office is situated in the heart of Cape Town in the city’s trendy Bree Street. We couldn’t ask for a better postcode. We are centrally located, there's plenty of parking in the vicinity, it's easy for clients to reach us and a quick walk to most landmarks in the CBD.

4. OWNERSHIP

We know the owners behind the brand which is also important to us. We share values and an ambition for doing brilliant business in Africa. Led by Frenchman Gregoire Schwebig we also identify with the international flair at Africaworks, that simultaneously doesn't compromise on it's African business roots.

5. DESIGN

The interior design of Africaworks is spectacular. Every detail has been taken care of from the balcony to the lego wall to that wonderful, big green couch. In a world being transformed by technology, we find the beautiful placement of art and business books around the office comforting and often read the pages as a mechanism to recharge. It’s genuinely a gorgeous space to work in as well as offering a practical and comfortable environment, important for busy businesses like ours.

6. COFFEE

We have a coffee company in the office meaning there’s full time barista and proper coffee machine. When we say a proper machine, we mean a proper machine, not a pretend one! Instead of having to dash out of the office to buy our morning wake up, we can buy the smoothest flat white from our lovely barista on site. It's also much more convenient for us to sort out coffee for clients when they visit us at Africaworks.

7. GREAT VALUE

Renting an office in this particular part of Cape Town would typically be very expensive for smaller companies. Africaworks rates are very reasonable in return for the tremendous value we receive in homing our businesses here.

8. CONVENIENCE

Working in Africaworks is much more convenient for our team because the premises is brilliantly managed. That means instead of being snowed under by office admin and playing rock paper scissors to decide who’s turn it is to take the bins out, we can actually concentrate on our teams and running our businesses. 

Ends ------

Claire Alexander and Nicola Probyn are the directors of Firecracker Marketing & Events and Africa Scotland Business Network. Claire is from Scotland and Nicola is from South Africa. They’ve been business partners for 11 years and run both companies from Africaworks.

 Africaworks is an official member of Africa Scotland Business Network.