Housing in Southern Africa October 2015

Infrastructure & Mixed Use

Philippi Village – a major catalyst for growth

W ithin Philippi in the Cape Flats there is a lack of office space for local businesses. ‘Philippi Village’ is an entrepreneurial development, which provides a space where entrepreneurs and businesses can grow and where residents can develop skills and increase their employability. This development will invigorate the area with work, trade and recreational activities. Entrepreneurs will be encouraged to cluster and collaborate to strengthen their businesses, stimulating local entrepreneurship and create promis- ing economic futures within Philippi. Businesses located within Philippi encourage job opportunities for residents within the area and negate them travelling long distances in search of work. The Business Place Philippi in partnership with The Sustainability Institute at the University of Stellen- bosch raised funding to conceptual- ise the project to transform the old cement factory site in Philippi into a mixed use integrated development with light industry, residential, food gardens and a hospital. The project was designed as a thesis project for a Masters in Sustainable Design by one of Cape Town’s acclaimed architect’s, Philip Briel. This all started in the early 2000s when The Business Place Philippi became the owner of the old cement factory premises. The residential component and gardens have been planned and will roll out at a later stage. The Business Place Philippi has already provided

South Africa is in need of a new definition of communities where integration is felt on all terrains: working, living, socialising and recreation, shopping in an area that is safe, accessible, of mixed usage and allow for the integration of all economic classes and races.

over 4 000 people with business and development services. The renewal of the much bigger factory precinct as a business office space required development funding. An R80-million cash injection in the form of a joint investment from the Bertha Foun- dation at UCT’s Graduate School of Business and the Jobs Fund. This enabled the construction of the new Business Hub and set the ball roll- ing for the remainder of the project. Already the ground floor has been fully let. Half of the offices on the first floor, which have been configured to offer much smaller premises, have been taken up, whilst the top floor has been designed to accommodate large companies such as call centres. A pre-primary school has opened its doors, a Leap Maths and Science Academy has begun operating and the Department of Coffees is about to start trading on the mezzanine con- course. A City Library will be located on the ground floor. There are a number of entities with a similar vision, who aimtomake a difference to the lives of people in the area. This includes Abalimi Bezikhaya, which provide support to urban micro-farmers, Simphiwe Shoes, a small start-up company and

the AfriCan Café bakery and coffee shop offers coffee, cakes and skills training. Founding members of The Busi- ness Place Philippi, Alan Fleming, has designed a container-based fish farm. The concept is to develop com- mercial aquaculture and create job opportunities in poorer urban areas has proved successful. ‘The Fish Farm’ has already received several innovation awards. The next phase will be the launch of the Container Walk. The pilot project 24 remodelled shipping con- tainers to form a dedicated precinct for small businesses. The design will give business owners the flexibility to configure their premises to suit their individual needs. The first 24 containers are fully subscribed with more containers in the pipeline. Amor Strauss, the General Man- ager of Philippi Village added that the Container Walk will be officially launched shortly. With the MyCiTi bus system rolling out in the Philippi area, this bodeswell for the economic node. Thomas Swana, CEOof thePhilippi Economic Development Initiative (Pedi), says that Philippi Village is poised for greater development. ■

October 2015