Future of Work: Is Africa’s Real Estate Industry Redeveloping? 2022 | Invest Africa | 28 March 2022 | Spaces - Johannesburg, Spaces Atrium on 5th Sandton, Atrium on 5th 9th Floor, 5th St, Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa

The world of work has changed but the realities for Africa are complex. The trends across the world have seen rapid urbanisation, demographic changes, hybrid models of working, e-commerce flurrying with vast opportunities and growth. Africa’s young population drives the demand for different types of real estate across the sector. Industrialisation will continue across Africa and will be accompanied by a rapid growth in the retail sector. The Real Estate industry is a place where decisions are expensive, committed, and long-lasting – brick and mortar don’t move. Every industry has seen a major shift in how people work and where. There has been a significant impact on the physical workplace anticipated that occupiers, developers, and investors will need to carefully consider for the future and how this will exist. Africa needs to accelerate the pace with which we embrace digitisation and technological change as it will have a significant impact on the high unemployment levels as e-commerce will create more jobs. There must be recognition that certain jobs are going to be disrupted and employers must manage the transition by upskilling employees for the jobs of the future.

Drawing on major disruptors - ranging from automation, location, technology, financing, employees’ values, and replacement of jobs to diversity and generational change, the future will be different. Real estate must be seen as a driver of value by providing a physical environment that has the employee experience at its heart which will be designed to promote purpose, engagement, collaboration, and innovation. These factors will help organisations of the future respond to the rapidly changing demands of this technology-enabled world.

The panel will look at how real estate has evolved – what are the opportunities and challenges facing real estate in Africa. The panel will also discuss how the office environment has changed, what hybrid working looks like and how this impacts economies across the world. Our experts will touch upon what these businesses have implemented in their work environments as a whole and how co-working spaces fit into the picture.

2022 Speakers

Alan van der Westhuizen
Head of Partnership Growth, South Africa, IWG

Mo Nanabhay
Franchise Development Director, IWG

2022 Partners

STRATEGIC PARTNERS
• Absa Group
• Afreximbank
• Anchor Capital
• Aon
• DLA Piper
• Standard Chartered Private Bank