How much office space do you need?
Space-planning ratios for South African offices, how to allow for growth, and why "usable" and "rentable" area are different numbers.
Reviewed by Joe Sokolic · Updated
Take too much space and you pay for empty desks for years; take too little and you're back in the market before the fit-out has paid for itself. A structured estimate beats a guess.
The per-person ratio
A common South African planning range is 10–15 m² of rentable area per person, all-in (workstations, meeting rooms, kitchen, reception, circulation). Dense open-plan operations — call centres, agencies — sit near the bottom; professional firms with cellular offices and larger boardrooms sit at the top or above.
Build up from a schedule
List every space: workstations at ~6 m² each, private offices at 10–15 m², a boardroom at 25–40 m², smaller meeting rooms at 8–15 m², plus kitchen, store, server room, reception. Add roughly 25–35% for circulation. That total is closer to reality than a flat ratio.
Allow for growth — but not too much
Sizing for headcount three years out is sensible; sizing for five is usually a mistake. If growth is uncertain, look for a building with expansion space on the same floor, or negotiate a first right of refusal on an adjoining suite.
Usable vs rentable area
You'll be quoted rentable area, which includes a share of common areas (lobbies, shared bathrooms). Usable area — what you can actually lay out — is smaller. Ask for both, and for the floor plate, before you compare rentals.
Once you have a number, tell us the range and area and we'll shortlist what fits.