44 Stanley

My involvement with 44 Stanley began in 2017, at a moment when my own working life was shifting. We had sold Park Café, and with more capacity available, my focus began to change. At the same time, a second branch of Polish Nail Spa had opened at 44 Stanley, drawing me into the precinct more deeply.

By then, the precinct was around fifteen years old and had undergone several structural changes. What felt immediately apparent was the need for a clear and considered marketing strategy. I put my hand up to take that on. Very quickly, however, it became clear that marketing alone was not enough. Leasing, tenant mix and the logic of who sat next to whom were fundamental to how the place was experienced. Curation was not a layer on top, it was the foundation.

44 Stanley had always been a place I felt drawn to. Long before I worked there, I visited it as a customer. Its creative, independent character and lack of polish in the conventional sense felt human and intentional. It was not trying to be everything to everyone, and that restraint mattered.

Over time, the nature of my role expanded. In addition to marketing, social and digital media, PR and eventing, the real work became about bringing everything together. Choosing tenants, initiating activations, managing relationships, shaping the customer journey, and holding a coherent narrative across very different businesses. In practice, it became the curation of the entire experience.

The owners of 44 Stanley understood pace in a way that is rare in commercial property. They resisted simply filling space and remained committed to independent businesses, even when that required patience. For the precinct to function well, it needs a thoughtful tenant mix, ongoing activation, strong partners and sponsors, and sustained attention to detail. None of this is accidental.

Working with a long-term precinct demands something different to fairs, pop-ups or short-run events. It requires persistence, the maintenance of standards, and the careful nurturing of relationships over time. There is relief in knowing that success does not hinge on a single weekend, but it also means constantly working to stay relevant in a city where new and shinier places emerge regularly.

The challenges are ongoing. Structural issues within Johannesburg, from security to power and water, shape daily decision-making. Managing expectations from tenants, balancing new ideas with practical realities, and navigating creative blocks all come with the territory.

What 44 Stanley has reinforced most strongly is the power of community. When the right people, businesses and intentions come together, something energetic and lasting can happen. Small and independent does not mean insignificant. Often, it leaves a deeper imprint.

In many ways, 44 Stanley brings together everything that came before it. The understanding of what it takes to run a small, customer-facing business. The importance of experience and atmosphere. The role of events in animating space. And the belief that ideas can become viable, meaningful businesses with the right support. From helping concepts like Forest Gelato grow from idea to operation, to encouraging brands such as Me & B to see the value of physical retail, the work is about enabling, connecting and sustaining.

44 Stanley is not a project I move on from. It is a place I hold, shape and return to daily. It represents an integrated practice of culture, commerce and care, grounded in real people and real space.