Louis’ Story

It is my privilege to meet up with many people and organizations in the entrepreneurial landscape. Here, I ask Louis Fourie, shareholder of Venture Workspace, a string of questions to capture their 9-year journey.

My name is Louis Fourie, and I’m one of the shareholders of Venture Workspace, which we started nine years ago. Growing up, I always thought I’d go into music, but I ended up studying mathematics with the goal of becoming an actuary. I never finished that path, though. Instead, I travelled for a while and spent nearly 15 years in the events industry, mainly focused on hospitality and service delivery. It suited my A-type personality—ticking all the boxes and delivering beautiful products to clients.

But after running around seven days a week for years, I followed a friend’s advice and got involved in the co-working industry. With the support of the investors who are now my fellow shareholders, we opened the first Venture Workspace branch in 2016.

I’ve always been naturally inclined to work with people. Later on, I also completed a degree in psychology. Providing a service, making a difference, and delivering something people truly enjoy has always mattered to me. Co-working ticks all those boxes: it’s about creating a space, providing a service, and being involved in people’s businesses. I also enjoy the creative side of designing beautiful work environments, alongside the business operations like accounting and marketing.

Our model is quite simple. I often say we are a hotel for offices. Instead of owning buildings, we rent large spaces and transform them into smaller, fully furnished offices. We install services like internet, kitchens, canteen areas, and hire the right staff—managers and receptionists. We then rent out these serviced offices, as well as open-plan desks for daily drop-ins. We also provide boardrooms, meeting rooms, and virtual office packages with a business address and telephone answering service.

Riverlands offers fully serviced offices—walk in, and everything is ready: desk, chair, internet, coffee and canteens. We also provide open spaces for members or day visitors, plus a range of boardrooms and meeting rooms. Our virtual office package allows clients to use our address and phone services without being physically present.

The first site involved me in everything—from carpets to wall colours. With each new site, it became easier to “copy and paste” the setup, using the same contractors and suppliers. The real challenge was learning to delegate and stepping into more of an oversight role. I still enjoy the creative process—choosing interiors, layouts, as well as implementing systems—but managing growth has meant building a great team and evolving our structure. I now have a fantastic operations manager who helps me stay in touch with all the centres daily.

When we opened in 2016, co-working was still fairly new to South Africa. Our first branch in Claremont filled up in six months, showing there was a real need. Initially, it was about avoiding Cape Town traffic and working closer to home. Our members came from diverse industries—law, IT, HR, travel, finance.

During lockdown, many companies downsized, and co-working became a perfect solution: providing an HQ for rotating teams or occasional meetings. At Riverlands, we created larger offices for 20+ employees, and they were snapped up almost immediately. Whether it’s convenience, avoiding traffic, or having a professional base while travelling, co-working has proven very successful. In just four months, Riverlands—with 70 offices—was at capacity!

I dislike strict hierarchies. For me, everyone should take responsibility. Our structure is more horizontal—like a starfish. I encourage staff to treat the space as their own: their centre, their hotel. They are the hosts, welcoming people into their workspace.

Customer service and hospitality are at the heart of what we do. We think of ourselves as running hotels, so from the moment someone walks in, they should feel warmth, care, and professionalism. Those are the standards we aim to deliver every day.

I learn something new every day, but a few lessons stand out:

• Stay calm—even in tough moments. Don’t sweat the small stuff; things often work themselves out.
• Focus on your team. They carry your values and ethos, and having the right people in place is essential.
• Surround yourself with supportive shareholders. I’m lucky to have two incredible partners who each bring unique strengths. Reliable contractors and suppliers are equally vital—you need people who’ll show up in the middle of the night if something goes wrong.

Once you’ve worked for yourself, it’s hard to go back to being an employee. Yes, it’s lonely and stressful at times, but perseverance pays off. Hard work, long nights, and persistence do eventually open doors. Having shareholders, mentors, or people to bounce ideas off makes the journey easier.

Education is key. Young people need to believe they’re special and have the tools to build their future. South Africans are incredibly resourceful, and education strengthens that. Businesses can also help by opening up internships, giving young people exposure to different industries. That kind of experience helps them discover what they could want/have for themselves and build entrepreneurial skills.

One of our big goals is to expand into Africa. Finding the right partners, cities, and buildings would be a huge step for us and a major achievement.

It may sound like a cliché, but hard work truly pays off. Persevere, persevere, persevere. People notice hard work, and opportunities often come from unexpected places.