Onome Amuge
In a groundbreaking alliance that could herald a new dawn for shared workspaces in Africa, the continent’s two frontrunners in the industry, KOFISI and Workshop17, have announced a partnership to offer an unparalleled breadth of services across Africa.
Riding the crest of Africa’s demographic tidal wave, shared workspace providers KOFISI and Workshop17 have spotted the tide of opportunity, with their strategic alliance poised to harness the immense growth potential of the continent’s rapidly expanding working-age population, set to surge by 450 million people, representing about 70 percent of Africa’s total population by 2035.
With the global talent landscape in flux, Africa has emerged as the new frontier for the world’s leading technology companies, including Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft,who are now racing to tap into the vast and fast-growing potential of the continent’s workforce, projected to boom to a third of the global working population in the next 20 years.
Uniting under the common banner of African advancement, KOFISI and Workshop17, said they will be offering their members access to a combined network of 22 locations, 60,000m2 of collaborative workspace across seven countries and all four regions of the continent, making it the largest independent network of beautiful serviced office and workspaces across Africa, where the quality and consistency of facilities are reliable, even in sometimes unpredictable environments.
The two brands have established a reputation for offering a premium workday experience in their respective countries, offering hospitality services, wellness, quality aesthetic and customised office design in their collective portfolios. KOFISI operates 10 locations in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and is opening in Rwanda and Morocco this year. On the other hand, Workshop 17 has 12 locations,with eight in South Africa and four in Mauritius.
With Africa expected to contribute a significant portion of the global workforce by 2030, a focus on productive workplace solutions is crucial for the continent’s economic growth.
Buoyed by the strategic partnership, instead of looking outward to countries like Russia, China, UAE, USA and France, Africa will be looking inward to boost entrepreneurial economies that can boost their local economies and tackle poverty and unemployment.
This, according to the premium workspace providers, will be done through new, flexible business SMEs that will draw on connections with neighbouring infrastructures.
Commenting on the partnership, Michael Aldridge, CEO and co-founder of KOFISI, said: “This partnership aims to meet evolving expectations for global standards in workplaces across Africa – and driving hospitality service standards, supporting improved productivity, collaboration, and wellbeing.”
Paul Keursten, CEO of Workshop17, remarked; “The combined strength of KOFISI and Workshop17, with their extensive client base, continental knowledge and expertise, will create a fertile ground for innovation and growth, appealing to all enterprises operating or entering the African market.”
Brimming with conviction and a zeal for innovation, KOFISI and Workshop17 have proclaimed their intention to shatter industry conventions and reshape the African workspace scene with their shared vision, forging a bright new frontier that will shape the future of work in Africa.
