Looking back, looking forward…
For many, 2022 was a year of change and transition. We’re reflecting on the past year and looking forward to helping you successfully navigate 2023.
Throughout 2022, we've had the privilege of working with amazing clients, business partners and suppliers and want to thank you all for your continued support and collaboration. Together, we reached milestones that would not have been possible without the powerful partnerships that we have enjoyed. Internally, we welcomed key strategic members to the Betapoint team, notably Non-Executive Director and Board Member Azola Mayekiso, Strategy Lead Steph Botton and Vicky Blumberg in Operations, and are looking forward to further team growth in 2023.
As we reach the end of the year, it is natural to reflect back on the challenges, successes and lessons learnt as well as to start looking ahead to new opportunities. At Betapoint, we’ve had a a busy year filled with exciting initiatives…
2022: A year in review
2022 marked the beginning of what many consider a return to normal after the disruption to life and business of the previous 2 years. At Betapoint, we welcomed growth and embraced new, inspiring challenges across all our offerings.
Over the past year, our Strategy Solutions team further developed our ESG Strategy offering – expanding our capability with future-focused, sustainability services to achieve greener, more efficient portfolios. The importance of ESG strategies in business has increased significantly in the last few years. Internationally and here at home, governments are starting to introduce more stringent requirements and laws, and society is driving this change and demanding more accountability. Smart businesses are finding ways to leverage ESG strategies to create opportunities. At Betapoint, our services include sustainability strategy, reporting, building assessments and optimisation, and portfolio-wide energy and sustainability management. We continue to provide valuable asset and portfolio advisory to tenants, landlords, developers, and investors, assisting with location strategy, feasibility studies and driving cost optimisation.
Notable recent achievements include a strategy and transaction advisory role for a proposed mixed-use Public Private Partnership development for a high-profile, public-sector client and a leading REIT. Another highlight was a real estate portfolio strategy project for an emerging unlisted property fund with R3bn+ in assets under management. Our team conducted an analysis into the complex structure and governance of the fund and identified opportunities to improve long-term portfolio performance with the objectives of safeguarding existing investments, improving risk management and ultimately generating higher returns from the portfolio.
With 2022 heralding a return to office for many companies, our People and Workplace Solutions consultants have engaged with clients and partners looking to rethink and implement hybrid work strategies, creating impactful workplaces aligned with business and staff needs. Evidence has shown that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating productive and inspiring workplaces and to enabling company culture. Each business needs to consider its individual requirements, parameters and cultural appetite in order to maximise workplace experience. We expect a continued focus on people and workplace strategy in 2023 as businesses continue to move towards purpose-fit, sustainable workplaces. Our work in this space continues to set the benchmark, an example being Dynamic Technology's Inspired Testing head office in Cape Town, where we reduced total office footprint by 75%, achieving substantial operating cost savings. At the same time, their new space is aligned with their brand and culture and enhances their employee experience and productivity.
As our already competitive world becomes even more so, companies are looking for new and innovative ways to maximise operational efficiency and create value for the business. Over recent years, the demands on Property and Facilities Managers have never been greater. Our CRE Operations Advisory Solutions consultants have helped a number of public sector and blue-chip listed clients develop cost-effective operating models to more efficiently manage CRE portfolios, leveraging people, process and new technologies. We’ve engaged with leading Property Management players and in-house CRE teams to transform their business operating models and evolve, modernise and optimise their property and facilities management functions. We've also been involved in ESG-led operational efficiency engagements collaborating with clients, including leading global professional services firms as well as listed REITs, to measure, baseline and optimise energy costs.
Clients increasingly also see value in our turnkey Design and Build Solutions, a delivery model that minimises complexity and improves integration. Our team has delivered a range of projects for existing and new clients across a breadth of clients and asset types - including commercial offices, heritage buildings, student accommodation, contact centre and medical real estate. Recent engagements included the commencement of a multi-year engagement with the University of Cape Town to deploy a breadth of professional capabilities in support of an extensive campus rejuvenation programme. Our multi-disciplinary team covers the fields of architecture, engineering, facilities management, design and build, and development and project management. We also delivered various turnkey design and build projects including an exciting project for BDO, a leading global professional services firm, optimising their existing space to accommodate growth while improving their employee value proposition and ensuring capital expenditure was efficiently prioritised.
Our Development & Project Management Solutions continue to successfully deliver projects on time and under budget, as well as ensuring integrated solutions that impact our clients' bottom-line. As Principal Agent and Project Manager for Growthpoint’s 900-bed student accommodation development, Apex Studios, we've effectively steered this complex, large-scale development project this past year towards a soft landing. Our team’s expertise and facilitative approach have been core to the success of this project. Another standout project was our successful role as Principal Agent and Project Manager for DRA’s new 12,000m2 African headquarters. Our team took on this project during the latter phases of Covid, and effectively showcased an ability to adapt and remain agile in an ever-changing environment, ensuring the work was completed under budget and on time.
Last but not least, our corporate Art Solutions specialists delivered a number of commercial and public art projects this past year, helping existing corporate collectors make sure their portfolios truly work for their businesses and assisting new corporate investors to expand their collections. Notable projects involved the sourcing of both ready-made and custom works, the digitisation of collections, and assisting with the complex, large-scale disposal of hundreds of valuable works. A further key focus has also been assisting retail and mixed-use landlords to unlock the value that art can contribute to social impact, experiential design and visitor engagement in their public spaces, something that is increasingly realised as the world returns to being physically present post-pandemic. We successfully delivered exciting projects for clients such as Altron, the International Finance Corporation and Exxaro, as well as collaborated with a number of REITs, and have an exciting pipeline of opportunities to look forward to next year.
Over and above our successful client engagements, we've also worked to deepen our CSI partnership with Afrika Tikkun over the past year. We continued actively investing in and supporting Afrika Tikkun to make an impact with its cradle to career developmental model, including not only providing financial support but also through ongoing knowledge-sharing and the mentoring of Afrika Tikkun youth.
We would love to connect in 2023 and discuss your plans, please get in touch.