South Africa’s richest area is getting a ‘city within a city’

Johannesburg – A former corporate headquarters in Sandton is being transformed into a high-density, mixed-use “city within a city”, as developers expand the Barlow Park precinct with hundreds of new homes, retail facilities and educational amenities.

According to Daily Investor, construction has begun on Phase 3 of Barlow Park, which will add 406 residential units, with completion targeted for the end of 2027. The project is being developed by Atterbury in partnership with Divercity Urban Property Group.

The development sits between the M1 highway and Katherine Street, opposite Innesfree Park and close to Sandton Central.

Barlow Park’s transformation began with the redevelopment of the former Barloworld headquarters into a residential and mixed-use precinct. Its first phase delivered 1,630 residential units, 5,500m² of convenience retail space and a 3,000m² school.

Phase 2, completed in June 2025, added a further 846 rental apartments, together with a sports centre, gym, swimming pool, business centre and social spaces.

Mixed-use developments

The precinct already has a convenience retail centre featuring retailers including Checkers, Clicks, Mr Price, Nando’s, Roman’s Pizza, Vida e Caffè and PEP Home.

Education is also central to the development. Curro Barlow Park High School operates a Digi-Ed campus within the precinct, while an Earlybird Educare Centre is planned, allowing families to access early learning and schooling within the same neighbourhood.

Lew Geffen Sotheby’s CEO Cobus Odendaal described the development as part of a broader shift in Johannesburg towards integrated urban precincts.

“The rise of mixed-use developments is allowing for a return to a more integrated, live-work-play model,” Odendaal said.

He described Barlow Park as a “city within a city”, offering apartments, retail, schools and recreational facilities in one location.

The trend extends beyond Barlow Park. Financial Mail, in its analysis of South Africa’s growing “mini-city” phenomenon, noted that mixed-use precincts are increasingly being driven by long commuting times, deteriorating municipal infrastructure, unreliable utilities and security concerns.

Continued demand for residential accommodation

The publication highlighted developments such as Sandton Gate, Waterfall City, Steyn City and Menlyn Maine as examples of privately managed precincts combining residential, commercial, retail and lifestyle facilities.

The shift is also evident at Sandton Gate, where developers Tiber and Abcon have combined apartments, offices, retail and leisure facilities.

BusinessTech reported that the R2 billion precinct was designed around the concept of having daily necessities within a five-minute walk, while Phase 2 added 12,000m² of retail space anchored by Woolworths, Checkers and Dis-Chem.

For Barlow Park, the latest 406-unit expansion signals continued demand for residential accommodation close to Sandton’s employment and business hub. The development is also designed around pedestrian routes and green public spaces, with Innesfree Park providing additional recreational space.

The result is a model of urban development increasingly gaining traction in Johannesburg: live, work, shop, learn and relax within one integrated precinct, rather than commuting between separate parts of the city.