Cape Town co-working space fosters connectivity

With an estimated 42 official co-working spaces, South Africa is the continent leader in this worldwide trend, and 75 Harrington in Cape Town’s East City is just one of these spaces.

As manager and community curator of this co-working hub in Cape Town’s East City, Steven Harris shares why this co-working hub is much more than just a collective of freelancers and start-ups.

How did 75 Harrington come about?

75 Harrington started early in 2014 when the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) consolidated its operations in the Harrington House building across the road and retained the lease on its previous premises. I own and run the adjacent multifunctional building called The Bank, and the idea of creating a multidisciplinary creative hub emerged out of various discussions between the CCDI and myself.

One year later, we have a community of members who fill three floors of co-working and shared office space. The ground floor opens directly onto Harrington Street and is a welcoming space with hot -desks, free Wi-Fi, a pop-up coffee shop, and a salad and soup bar.

Who are your tenants?

We embrace diversity and we have a real range of members and tenants – it’s where art, design, engineering and tech start-ups intersect. There are also NGOs like such as Open Streets, Oranjezicht City Farm, The Shift, Sunshine Cinema, This is Africa and the Buffelshoek Trust, who do significant and exciting work throughout the city and beyond.

How relevant is its location?

Our location is key. People come to us not just for the great coffee, food and internet, but to connect with others. A design and innovation ecosystem is now steadily emerging in the East City after many years of neglect.

Call 082-445-3246.

 This article was originally published in Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property & lifestyle guides. Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za, like YourNeighbourhoodZA on Facebook and follow YourHoodZA on Twitter.