It started with a hot desk in Paarl. Now Pretoria is getting a whole new Workshop17.

A chance encounter, a cold LinkedIn message and two developers who know Hazelwood like the back of their hands. The story behind Workshop17’s first purpose-built location is anything but conventional.

When Pretoria property developer Andries Pretorius walked into Workshop17 Tabakhuis in Paarl a few years ago, all he needed was somewhere to work for a month. What he found was a workspace he liked so much that he decided Pretoria needed one too.

The people, the conversations and the pleasure of working alongside interesting businesses had made an impression. By the time he left, Pretorius had become something of an unofficial Workshop17 ambassador.

Back in Pretoria, he shared his enthusiasm with his business partner, Etienne Maritz, at property development company Bow&Arc, then found Workshop17 CEO and co-founder Paul Keursten on LinkedIn and sent him a message.

The gist of it was simple: Pretoria needs Workshop17. Can we talk?

Keursten agreed to meet. As it turned out, Workshop17 had already been considering Pretoria but hadn’t found the right premises. Keursten knew he wanted to be in Hazelwood, so Pretorius asked him to point out his ideal spot.

He pointed to a property right in the middle of the precinct. It wasn’t on the market, but that didn’t deter Bow&Arc, a few months later, the property had been purchased.

A month of hot-desking in Paarl had unexpectedly led to Workshop17 Hazelwood, the brand’s first purpose-built location, scheduled to open in early 2027.

A village in the middle of Pretoria

Hazelwood has developed a character that is distinctly its own. Former residential properties have become restaurants, independent cafés and gathering places, with pavement tables drawing people out into the neighbourhood.

There’s an almost European feel to it. People walk between restaurants, familiar faces greet one another and an afternoon coffee can easily turn into an evening out. The neighbourhood has grown through the efforts of independent business owners and property developers who have invested in the area over the years.

For Pretorius and Maritz, the connection is personal. They live in the neighbourhood, and Pretorius grew up in the very street where Workshop17 Hazelwood is being built.

“We know Pretoria well, particularly this part of the city,” says Maritz. “People enjoy being out, sitting at a street café, watching other people and meeting friends. That’s what makes Hazelwood work. It has that village feel, and you can’t just pick it up and recreate it somewhere else.”

It’s this character that appealed to Keursten when considering a Pretoria location. Hazelwood already has the cafés, social spaces and independent businesses that encourage people to spend time together, making it an interesting setting for a shared workspace.

The appeal of working alongside others

Pretorius believes the experience of working in isolation during Covid changed how many people think about their working environment.

“I think people realised very quickly how much they need to be around other people,” he says. “You can have beautiful offices and all the technology you want, but the community aspect is what really matters. People want to exchange ideas, share experiences and work alongside others. I think that’s where the future of business is heading.”

It’s something he experienced for himself during that month in Paarl. Working alongside people from different industries exposed him to conversations and perspectives he might otherwise never have encountered.

“One of the things I love about a shared workspace is being surrounded by people doing interesting things,” he says. “You get talking over coffee, hear what someone else is working on and perhaps see something from a completely different angle. That kind of everyday interaction makes work more interesting.”

In Hazelwood, those interactions can happen just as naturally outside the building.

Workshop17 plans to establish relationships with neighbourhood restaurants, coffee shops, running clubs and other businesses, creating opportunities for members to participate in local activities and enjoy preferential offers.

It also fits with the idea of working close to where you live, something Bow&Arc has long embraced. Having the office, restaurants, shops and everyday services within the same neighbourhood allows people to fit work into their day without constantly travelling across the city.

A new building with local roots

Workshop17 Hazelwood marks the first time the brand has developed a location in a purpose-built building, having previously established its workspaces by adapting existing properties.

The approximately 2,455 m² development, on the corner of Oaktree Avenue and 18th Street, will accommodate private offices, hot desks, meeting rooms, an on-site café and shared areas. Its library-inspired interior design includes spaces for quiet concentration as well as informal conversation.

The project involves an unusually close relationship with the business that will occupy the building from Bow&Arc’s perspective.

The partners have invested in the Hazelwood operation and will move their own offices into Workshop17 when it opens. As landlords, investors and tenants, they’ll be using the space they helped create.

“We’re fully invested in this Workshop17 location,” says Pretorius. “We’re the landlords, we’re tenants and we’ve invested in the business. We live in the area, we believe in the product and we want to be part of it.”

And while there’s considerable thought behind the development, Pretorius is also happy to admit that the address comes with a few bragging rights. In his view, Workshop17 will occupy one of the coolest buildings in the coolest part of Hazelwood.

A few years, one LinkedIn message and a property purchase after his first visit to Workshop17 Tabakhuis, he’s preparing to move into a Workshop17 of his own. Quite a return on a month’s hot-desking.

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