What’s the best coworking space for entrepreneurs in South Africa?

A fairly recent, but increasingly popular trend, has been the emergence of coworking spaces around South Africa. These spaces allow small businesses, entrepreneurs, and other freelance workers to operate from shared spaces that offer all the benefits of a traditional office, but at a fraction of the cost. This is largely thanks to the common use of things such as equipment, utilities, joint reception, and others.

As the world looks to put greater emphasis on work-from-home and working remotely, even the biggest companies are considering downsizing their offices and if you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, coworking is a good place to start when you need to set up “shop” for the first time.

There are several other benefits that come with utilising a coworking space, including networking and collaboration opportunities, enhanced productivity compared to working from home, greater rental flexibility in terms of length, and beneficial amenities that allow the space to scale with your business’s needs.

With various international and local coworking space providers operating in South Africa, entrepreneurs have a wide variety of options with different costs, locations, and communities to choose from. To make it easier for you to choose the best coworking space for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of features that are important to consider before making a decision.

Which features are important for entrepreneurs?

Cost: Most coworking spaces offer a variety of monthly memberships at many different price points,  ranging from lounge/boardroom access to hot desks or even a private office allowing you to easily scale the space to the needs of your business.

Locations: The right location is important for many reasons, including convenience for yourself, staff, and your clients. As such, the best coworking space needs to offer a number of different locations allowing you to pick the perfect one for your business. A variety of locations also allows you to work while travelling more efficiently, with national/international coworking providers offering the opportunity to take your work to locations around the country and world.

Community: One of the biggest benefits of coworking spaces is the variety of different people you are able to network with, increasing your ability to connect with entrepreneurs and businesses that you otherwise would not have met. Good co-working spaces encourage these interactions through community and networking events, training and development, and the use of technology and online platforms.

Flexibility: As an entrepreneur, you’ll want the ability to use your workspace as frequently (or infrequently) as you require, and this will change as your business and team grows. When starting out, it’s important to consider a membership that isn’t too restrictive on your access and duration in the space you decide on.

Amenities: Most coworking spaces provide similar features and services, but the difference is in the detail. A coworking space is about much more than an office and four walls, fast internet, and trendy furniture. It comes down to the features that enable members to run their businesses more effectively. Great coffee and food on-site, sufficient parking, an on-site generator and printer, cleaning services (Covid-19 compliant), business address usage, and features that enhance productivity (like a shared receptionist or private spaces for important phone calls) are some of the difference-makers.

Atmosphere: Since you’ll be spending most of your working hours here, it is important that the environment of the space suits your style. The space is meant to inspire you to do your best work, so being comfortable and conducive to work is prime.

Reputation: If you’re going to be operating your business from a coworking space, you want to know that you can expect professionalism and quality no matter the membership you have. If a coworking space has been recognised by industry awards, you can rest assured that they’re putting in the effort to make it a premium work environment for their members.

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