New R30m health club in PE

State-of-the-art facility set to open at Greenacres this year Leading health club group Virgin Active Health Clubs South Africa is flexing its muscle in Nelson Mandela Bay with a R30-million investment into new state-of-the-art facilities in Port Elizabeth.

The 3 571m² Virgin Active Health Club, Greenacres, is under construction and is set to open in the third quarter of this year. It is situated near Entrance 1 of the Greenacres Shopping Centre, with the multi-storey facility being physically integrated into the centre. The new health facility forms part of a relocation of the club from its current Greenacres area premises just a few hundred metres away at The Atrium shopping centre. It will also accommodate a large number of parking bays directly beneath the club. The development will complement two other major Virgin Active facilities in Port Elizabeth.

Les Aupiais, head of strategic communication for the group, said the investment reinforced the company’s strong confidence in what she described as a fast-developing area of South Africa. Outlining factors contributing to the growth of the health club industry and by extension Virgin Active’s growth in the southern Africa region, Aupiais said: “The gym industry is vibrant and entrepreneurial in South Africa, with a growing global awareness of the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle and being active for much longer.” Pointing to the company’s expansion, particularly in light of the growing health trends, she said the group already boasted 137 world-class clubs across South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. “The group plans to launch up to 10 new clubs this year. And part of the success and growth of the Virgin Active footprint can be attributed to its operating model, in that the group offers broad membership options including luxury Collection clubs, full-service Health Clubs and RED gyms, which were introduced in 2014,” Aupiais said. The new facility would offer members a host of cutting-edge equipment on which to train, as well as a heated 25m lap pool, steam room, The Grid functional training, an indoor cycle studio with the latest-generation cycles, and a Club-V for children. “The move to the newly refurbished Greenacres mall is in line with our strategy of enhancing a member’s experience, with the latest facilities, equipment, group exercise classes and convenient access to more than 1 000 parking bays,” she said. “This will be Virgin Active’s third club in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.”