Derivco Pretoria is expanding and has set up shop in the Menlyn node, the new commercial corporate hub of Pretoria. In this brand-new office space, designed for collaboration and creativity, technical specialists will deal with the challenging tasks of building the core ecommerce products, payment-processing tools and user-registration applications that are vital to the global business.
According to Megan Jacobs, General Manager of Derivco Pretoria, the location was chosen because Menlyn is a fast-growing urban area which offers integrated spaces for businesses, residential properties and lifestyle centres. “It was important that we chose a site that offered our people convenient access to retail and lifestyle spaces to ensure we supported work-life balance,” she said.
The Menlyn node precinct will include a residential component, commercial offices, retail centres, a Virgin Active Classic Gym, a hotel (close enough to be convenient for international colleagues) and an urban entertainment centre. It is destined to become Pretoria’s version of Melrose Arch, and Jacobs says Derivco is perfectly positioned within this precinct for its people to enjoy all the benefits associated with it. “Menlyn also provides us with the space we need to support our future growth,” said Jacobs. “It really ticks all the boxes,” she said.
Derivco operates in a demanding industry and its people are faced with many technological challenges. Providing staff with an environment which takes account of these pressures was important to Jacobs. “We’ve set up games rooms, recreational rooms and pause areas in which people are encouraged share ideas, express themselves and take some time away from work,” said Jacobs.
A quirky addition to the office space is the amount of whiteboards the design team created. “We’ve turned every available wall into a whiteboard which is great for strategizing and visualising during meetings. You can practically scribble on the walls anywhere you are in the office. We love our whiteboards at Derivco,” said Jacobs.
The designer offices are just one of the perks Derivco offers its people. They expose their people to the newest technology, invest heavily in career development and treat their staff to complimentary breakfast and lunch every day. “We wouldn’t be the successful company we are without the talented people that work with us,” said Jacobs. “We want them to be challenged and fulfilled and we want to help them grow in their careers as much as possible. Creating a designer office in an upmarket urban precinct is just one of the ways we strive to achieve our goals of employee retention,” she concluded.