While the Rosebank node has enjoyed much success and years of development, there are a number of challenges that require further support from the City of Johannesburg to mitigate, and to ensure further development in the area.

This was the key message emerging from a Rosebank media walk hosted by the Rosebank Management District (RMD) stakeholder organisation on August 25.

Property company Hyprop portfolio executive and Upper RMD chairperson Nicole Greenstone said Rosebank played a key role in the city and called on the City of Johannesburg to assist in ensuring more development, as the challenges could not be resolved by the district alone.

One challenge that has affected much of the node has been the impact of Covid-19, especially given that the node is heavily reliant on tourism.

Despite the many challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, under the leadership of the RMD, Rosebank had continued to grow and attract investment, Greenstone noted.

Many Rosebank businesses, particularly in the retail and hospitality sectors, were severely affected by lockdowns and long stay-at-home orders. However, there are signs of recovery.

In the coming months, 1 500 Anglo American employees will move into the new Oxford Parks Precinct and the 144 Oxford road office complex. There are also Guatrain developments, as well as new international hotels.

RMD is, therefore, continuing to implement supplementary services, such as enhanced street cleaning, security, placemaking, marketing and engagement, with organisations tackling social issues such as homelessness.

With practical and financial support from the city, the RMD hopes to successfully resolve the challenges caused by Rosebank’s rapid densification.

These include the sustainable upgrading of overburdened basic infrastructure, the establishment of a new dedicated taxi rank to cater for an expanding commuter population, the eradication of illegal parking and the maintenance of Rosebank’s neglected green spaces.

Tackling Challenges

Among the challenges highlighted during the tour was that of homeless people in the area and the need to ensure they are not left behind and are accommodated.

Rosebank Homeless Association chairperson Judith Briggs said homelessness was an issue that would always occur in cities, as cities attracted people looking for a better life.

Therefore, she emphasised that there was a need to provide shelter for people in this situation, which the association is already doing in Rosebank.

However, Briggs said there was a lack of sufficient resources to fully accommodate everyone and she called on the City of Johannesburg to help bolster these efforts.

Another major challenge facing the area was the small size of the Rosebank taxi rank, which Lerato Khiba, the precinct manager for Excellerate Managed Services in Rosebank, said was not big enough to accommodate the number of minibus taxis or commuters that need to use it.

She too called on the city to assist in this regard.

Continuing Developments

Another stop during the tour was the Gautrain Rosebank station, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this month.

Gautrain marketing executive manager Sandy Roth said that the station had stimulated development in the area considerably, with investment and property having increased, owing to the easy access to the rapid rail service.

She noted that the station occupied a prime location, owing to its proximity to the Johannesburg central business district and Sandton, as well as the short 22-minute ride to the airport, which, coupled with the area’s art, hotels and other facilities, provided a “huge draw” for international tourists.

However, the Gautrain was impacted on by the Covid-19 pandemic, given its and the Rosebank node’s reliance on tourism.

Roth pointed out that, to mitigate this, the Gautrain had stepped up public safety, with trains sanitised at each stop, while contactless payment was introduced.

Another innovation being pursued is the introduction of a student card, which offers discount benefits, which Roth said would hopefully increase this demographic’s use of the service.

Also, the Gautrain is looking at introducing various other midi-bus routes, including one to Parkhurst.

Meanwhile, hotel developments have also been an area of focus in the Rosebank node.

Jessica Redinger, the GM of the first voco hotel in Africa, voco Johannesburg Rosebank, located at The Bank, said the pandemic had delayed the opening of the hotel.

Nevertheless, she said she was hopeful it would now open towards the end of this year or the first quarter of 2022.

Also featured on the tour was the Radisson RED Johannesburg Rosebank, which opened in August. It is the first Radisson RED hotel in Gauteng and only the second in Africa, with the other located in Cape Town.

The hotel is located at Oxford Parks and notable features include a rooftop bar, restaurant and pool.

Also speaking during the tour was Tomorrow Co director and co-founder Anton Taljaard, who said that the Keyes Art Mile had saturated the area with art and greenery.

The inclusion of greenery is focused on using plants indigenous to the area, as well as creating awareness of conservation efforts to protect these resources.

Taljaard noted that an issue in the area had been crime; therefore, there was a focus on guards, camera systems and in-house security, to ensure safety. He enthused that, to date, there had been no incidents at the Keyes Art Mile, despite the area being open to the public.