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The Changing face of Sandton…and with it comes many pros and cons

Lucia Walker

The character of Sandton is slowly changing and its traditional residential component may be affected in some way.

This is according to Sandton Central Management District marketing manager Cara Reilly and local councillor Vincent Earp, in the wake of development initiatives that have divided the community. These include the helium balloon at Hyundai Park at Mushroom Farm Park and the proposed helipad at Sandown High school.

Reilly said there was no doubt that Sandton was planned with future growth and change in mind. “And with change come many pros and cons,” said Reilly.

“The balance between them is going to be critical. But Sandton has not been a suburb for many years and, like other development nodes, high density and bulk bring phenomenal change to the landscape and other elements.

The convenience of living next to or in the richest square mile in Africa comes loaded with inconveniences.”

Reilly said it would be ideal to retain some of the traditional residential component, but wasn’t sure how practical this would be given property prices and demand for land.

Meanwhile, Earp said Sandton had fast become the financial and business district in Gauteng. “No city remains static and Sandton is no exception.

“What is important is that all role players need to be consulted, and careful guidance will be necessary to ensure we have peaceful co-existence between the residential and business components.”

The councillor said Sandton central business district already had mixed use developments. However, he added the traditional residential component would remain an important player in the development of Sandton.

“There is a need for more residential space and this will need to be carefully monitored and controlled,” he added.

luciaw@caxton.co.za