The V&A Waterfront is among the premier tourist destinations and leading retail, commercial, residential and marine spaces on the African continent. Considering the very many changing external and internal factors it faces, the Waterfront appreciates that it needs to lead the way amongst property development companies if it is to maintain this positioning.

The Waterfront’s unique differentiator is the adjacency, flexibility, responsiveness and ability to master-plan that comes from owning a private neighbourhood, particularly with access to the ocean.

The strategic positioning adopted has been for the Waterfront to become a shared value ecosystem development company. In essence, the business strategy is therefore to manage and connect the neighbourhood and its societal stakeholders for the benefit of all. It strategically leverages its ecosystem to provide value to all stakeholders, including value where it intersects with society and the environment.

Based on this, the Waterfront has adopted a purpose statement that reflects these values.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Collectively creating the world’s most inspiring waterfront neighbourhood

How

  • We recognise what has come before us, while we look to the future;
  • We celebrate and protect our environment and our oceans;
  • We add value through the big things, and the smallest details too;
  • We design and develop for the benefit of all;
  • We keep people and opportunity at the centre of what we do, so all who come here know they belong in this space.
Our Purpose How
Our Purpose What

What

We strive to create and curate an authentic and inclusive place which invites and inspires discovery, growth and joy.

An inspiring waterfront neighbourhood, the Waterfront committed to using the structural break provided by Covid-19 to build back better and to set ambitious goals for our neighbourhood in the areas of sustainability, inclusivity and opportunity.

  • To be carbon-neutral by 2035.
  • To integrate affordable housing into the Waterfront precinct, which includes accessible supporting services.
  • Positively impacting 50 000 SMEs by 2030.

A number of key trends have driven the shifts made by the Waterfront in recent years. These include:

  • Purpose and shared value. The most successful and relevant organisations today deliver value to all stakeholders, not only commercial returns for shareholders. In practice, the world now expects this of businesses. This expectation is particularly relevant in South Africa – and specifically in Cape Town, given the perception that this city is the least transformed in South Africa.
  • Customer-centricity and data-centricity are fundamental to remain competitive in a digital economy and social media-dominated world.
  • Working in a systemic nature and across silos is foundational in a purpose-led and digital world; and – in the case of the Waterfront – is essential to activate and gain the benefit of under-realised value.
  • Global retail shifts were, even before Covid, putting conventional retail environments under profound pressure. The seismic shift of the pandemic accelerated trends, and all indications are that this will continue and even escalate.
  • The depressed macro-economic environment and the South African socio-political climate requires a creative, innovative response from commercial entities.
  • Waste, water, energy, climate and traffic challenges.

To read more about how the Waterfront is going about meeting its goals, read more at https://solve.waterfront.co.za/about/

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