Virgin Active South Africa has launched Collection Country Club in Green Point, Cape Town. This is the first of a new ‘Social Wellness Club’ concept that will be rolled out to 127 existing gym facilities across the country.
Virgin Active CEO Dean Kowalski said in an interview that while the new concept differs from traditional thinking about gym-goers, where health is an outcome, the more than R100 million invested in the new Greenpoint facility is aimed at positioning it as a social wellness club that also offers preventive and restorative health.
“What we have here is what I call a ‘second space.’ It’s neither home nor office, but an intentional space in between, designed for a lifestyle that includes training, recovery, focus, connection to work, nutrition, recovery, community, and more all to coexist,” he said.
Point Collection Country Club, which opened Thursday, brings together fitness, recovery, wellness, nutrition, collaboration and community on 5,500 square meters.
“Our Social Wellness Club has been reimagined as a stunning space with exceptional hospitality, with plenty of space for people to rejuvenate mentally, physically, socially and emotionally. It’s a holistic preventative wellness solution under one roof, designed to integrate into modern lifestyles,” Kowalski said.
He said South Africa had played a big part in the Virgin Active story since Nelson Mandela called Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson more than 20 years ago to ask if he could help rescue the Health and Racquet Club.
“What the team has created at Point Collection Country Club is a great example of how Virgin Active continues to evolve and reimagine wellbeing for the future. A club where people can work out, relax, work remotely, meet new friends and enjoy life – which is what wellness is all about.”
He added that the new concept is also being rolled out internationally at Virgin Active Clubs such as Qatar, the UK, Italy and Austria.
New club amenities include an expanded gym floor, cardio zone, new lift club, fitness classes with state-of-the-art equipment, strength and conditioning areas, and personal training services.
For group exercise, there are five studios offering reformer Pilates, hot yoga, boxing, high-intensity training, performance and simulation cycling, and meditative sound bath classes.
The 25 meter training pool is home to the newly established Chad Le Clos Swim Academy, with a program supported by qualified swim coaches for structured training for all swimmers.
For recovery and relaxation, there is a spa area offering hot and cold contrast therapies, including a sauna, steam room, spa pool and cold plunge. Other recovery facilities include hydromassage beds, cryolounge beds, compression boots, and hyperice massage guns.
Outdoor and indoor play facilities include padel, pickleball, tennis courts, and an outdoor swimming pool. The club will also feature an outdoor functional HYROX training area, following Virgin Active’s recent exercise and training partner status with HYROX.
Facilities to support growth and health include a health and medical suite, biokinesiologists, physical therapists, sports scientists, longevity suite, nutritionist and body composition support, as well as infrared and red light longevity cabins, a spa and hydrotherapy facility.
We have social wellness events to nourish, connect and work, NÜ Health Food Café, co-working spaces, boardrooms, and indoor and outdoor social spaces for community building.
Kowalski said, “Wellness is not about pursuing intensity or achieving short-term goals. It’s about balance and sustainability, the kind of thing that comes from consistency, care, and dedication over time. It’s about building habits, spaces, and communities that support a full, healthy life.”
He said the concept of social wellness is a response to a growing consumer shift and the need to balance work, life and well-being through spaces that serve multiple functions.
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