Escaping The Cape Town Commute: Why Office Location Matters

Shimmering oceanscapes. Swoon-worthy sunsets. Cape Town is paradise… unless you’re crawling through traffic and accidentally took the wrong off-ramp to Paarl.

While this stylish city offers world-class natural beauty, road congestion has unfortunately become a daily reality for many residents and visitors alike. According to the 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, which measures transport data from over 946 urban areas globally, Cape Town ranks among the top 10 cities with the worst traffic. 

To put this into perspective, last year, commuters lost an average of 94 hours sitting in traffic – nearly four entire days. This scorecard places the Mother City at number seven on the global list, beating out the famously clogged-up city of Los Angeles, where commuters lose 88 hours each year.

Despite road commutes taking up to an average of 58 minutes during peak hours on a good day, TimeOut officially ranked Cape Town the Best City in the World for 2025. 

Traffic congestion is part of the package in most major global cities, so it’s no surprise that we’ve staked our claim on this infamous list,” says Louis Fourie, Founder of Venture Workspace.

“As the oldest city in the country, wedged between mountains and sea, Cape Town simply wasn’t built to handle the volume of people who now live and work here. With rising visitor numbers and continued semigration to the Western Cape, our magnificent metropolis is more in demand than ever.”

Getting around the Cape Town commute

While the City of Cape Town continues its efforts to maintain and upgrade transit systems, Louis emphasises that individuals must remain one step ahead when planning how and when they commute.

Tools like Waze, Google Maps, and community WhatsApp groups for live traffic updates can go a long way in helping commuters make informed decisions. However, he emphasises the importance of fostering a flexible, hybrid work culture to reduce cars on the road during peak hours.

“The solution isn’t simply to encourage everyone to permanently remain at home. We need people out and about enjoying the city, living balanced lives, and supporting local businesses,” he explains. “Many Venture Workspace members have joined our Cape Town workspaces because they crave human connection, proving that loneliness is still prevalent in a city brimming with people.” 

Return to Office (RTO) is making a noticeable comeback within the Cape Town and Johannesburg job markets. According to recent data from CareerJunction, local job listings labelled as ‘remote’ have decreased from 4.3% in 2023 to 3.7% in 2024. 

“If organisations calling workers back into the office fall back into rigid schedules, long commutes, and uninspiring work environments, they risk alienating their top talent,” he adds. “To succeed in a congestion-heavy city like Cape Town and even Johannesburg, businesses must be strategic about office location, working hours, and even the type of company culture they want to create.”

Coworking on the rise in Cape Town

As early pioneers of coworking spaces in South Africa, the Venture Workspace team believes the physical office still plays a vital role in our future world of work. 

“It just needs to be done well,” says Devin Cunningham, Centre Manager at Venture Workspace Riverlands. “Venture Workspace was founded with the mission to offer accessible and professional spaces where people feel cared for and businesses can thrive without the stress of urban gridlock and long-term leases. With most of our Cape Town workspaces located in or near residential areas, we turned our sights closer to the city with Riverlands, a mixed-use precinct recently launched in Observatory.”

The Venture Workspace team began exploring the opportunity to establish a presence at Riverlands back in 2020, when early conversations began with Zenprop, one of South Africa’s largest property investment and development companies.

“Our latest serviced space is strategically located to offer a welcome reprieve from the daily traffic grind for those living in the CBD or Riverlands itself,” Devin explains. “Situated near the Liesbeek River, it provides easy access to all major highways in the area, including the N1, N2, and M5, while only 10 minutes away from Cape Town International.” 

Beyond its convenient location and focus on sustainability, Riverlands stands as the largest and most prestigious addition to the Venture Workspace portfolio. Here’s a snapshot of what this workspace offers:

• A palatial multi-level 2,000m² space
• Ample secure parking for members and visitors
• 66 serviced offices and 4 larger semi-serviced suites for bigger organisations
• A private podcast studio
• Meeting rooms, boardrooms and social dining areas
• An on-site coffee bar (Cooper’s Coffee)
• Support staff, backup power, and ultra-fast connectivity
• Tailormade member packages and flexible agreements
• Jaw-dropping views, with direct access to an eco-park, river trails, running tracks and direct access to the shopping centre on the ground level.

“Our Riverlands office caters to those seeking a P-grade (prime grade), upmarket venue for their operations,” Devin adds. “Not only can local professionals reduce their commute, but they also gain the opportunity to work in a premium, well-connected space in one of the country’s most competitive business cities.”

He continues: “Cape Town is a growing hub, so some level of inconvenience is inevitable. But with top talent and high-profile enterprises flowing in, we’re optimistic about the city’s future and plans to alleviate its traffic challenges.”

What’s next for Cape Town?

The City of Cape Town is currently conducting a feasibility study for completing the foreshore freeway and has officially launched a public participation process regarding the potential release of land in Three Anchor Bay for development. This includes a recent proposal development by local development engineer, Gareth Ramsey, as a solution for Cape Town’s incomplete freeway.

As of March 2025, the City has also commenced construction in the Claremont area for the next phase of the MyCiTi service. This new expansion will provide quality, safe, and direct public transport to more than 30 communities linking Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Wynberg, and Claremont.

“Just imagine living and working in one of the world’s best cities and actually having the privilege to spend more time enjoying it, instead of being stuck behind the wheel,” Louis adds. “Looking ahead, we’re going to continue advocating a flexible, hybrid work model in Cape Town. As we often prove, there are always smarter, better ways of working wherever you are in the world,” he concludes.

Venture Workspace offers traffic-free Cape Town workspace alternatives at four locations, including Riverlands in Observatory. Come see for yourself. Contact our team at +27 (0)861 370 260 or info@ventureworkspace.co.za to schedule a visit.