Deloitte gives nod for move
• Firm awards Atterbury tender to develop head office in Waterfall City
Accounting firm Deloitte is set to open its new Gauteng office in the upcoming business node of Waterfall City, hot on the heels of its rival, PwC.
Atterbury won the tender to develop the R1bn-plus office on behalf of a 50-50 joint venture between co-owners Atterbury and JSE-listed real estate capital growth fund Attacq.
“Deloitte’s new premises will be developed in the sought-after location of Waterfall in Midrand, Gauteng, joining a number of leading corporations consolidating their operations in what is fast becoming SA’s leading business destination. The total estimated development cost is in excess of R1bn,” Atterbury CEO and co-founder Louis van der Watt said.
Deloitte’s 42,500m² office would open in 2020. Meanwhile, PwC’s South African head office would open early in 2018, also in the Waterfall City node.
More than 15 submissions including proposals from other listed property sector companies, were studied. Deloitte then awarded the tender for its new South African head office to Atterbury.
“We are thrilled to win this tender in a highly competitive environment, once again highlighting Atterbury’s ability to provide a deep understanding of Deloitte’s business and property strategies and to develop solutions to help achieve them. This development continues Atterbury’s track record of creating flagship corporate head offices and top quality real estate assets for leading national and international blue-chip businesses,” Van der Watt said.
Bulk earthworks for the project will start in August with construction starting in the final quarter of 2017. The development will be completed in the first quarter of 2020.
Deloitte will begin operating from its new South African base from April 2020.
The new Deloitte office will consolidate the current Woodmead and Pretoria offices in a single central location. The building has space capacity for close to 5,000 people.
“The offices will boast exceptional access and visibility with major highway frontage at the eastern side of the bustling and burgeoning Waterfall City,” Atterbury said.
Deloitte SA chief operating officer Mike Jarvis said Deloitte had outgrown its old offices.
“The consolidation of our Johannesburg and Pretoria offices into one Gauteng office in Waterfall City promises to be an exciting journey. We are quickly outgrowing both existing office spaces and are now in a position to bring together about 3,700 of our people into one, new custom-designed building in what is clearly an attractive corporate destination,” he said.
Coenie Bezuidenhout of Atterbury Property Development said: “This is a culmination of a combined effort of the multidisciplined team of experts within our Atterbury team, backed by our competitive dealmaking acumen. We look forward to welcoming Deloitte to its new premises.”