Lungelo Mavundla with trainer Tshepo Molupe

Smart Gym, winner of this year's Halala Joburg Award in the Relaxing and Playing Joburg category, has as its core business, providing high-tech gym facilities and exercise services to city slickers.

"If you look at the CBD 10 years ago, it didn't have many residents," noted Smart Gym's marketing manager, Ronny Mnguni. "But [now] many people are deciding to reside here, many of them coming from the townships."

It is this market that Smart Gym is targeting - the movers and shakers of the inner city in LSM six to eight. LSM is the living standards measure, which groups people according to their living standards.

"What we provide is a place where they can go and relax, while also exercising," said Mnguni, speaking from a packed Metro Centre gym on Bree Street. "We provide a sense of community, which is somehow lacking [in the city's residences]."

Smart Gym is a subsidiary of Aurik Investment Holdings, a venture driven by Carien Engelbrecht and Pavlo Phitidis. Under the auspices of Aurik and John Fourie, a fitness guru and fitness centres entrepreneur, the first gym was opened in Castle Mansions on Eloff Street in September 2006.

A second gym was opened in the once notorious La Rosa building in Berea in March 2007, and the Metro Mall Gym welcomed its first batch of members in September 2008. "There are more gyms coming in the CBD," Mnguni explained.

The brand has also extended to Tshwane, where a gym was opened on Church Street this year. Mnguni confirmed that the group branch out to the city's suburb, Sunnyside, in early 2010.

"We're planning to be in all the metros by 2011 ... we're talking about opening gyms in Durban, Cape Town, Nelspruit and all these cities."

Membership
The global financial recession, which has also hit South Africa, had not stopped Smart Gym from growing, he claimed. In fact, during this trying time its membership has drastically increased. "Despite it, we have been able to grow membership quite substantially."

According to Mnguni, membership at the four gyms was fast approaching 15 000; and the company had received inquiries about branches from about 50 000 people, some from as far as Zambia and Nigeria, partly thanks to its partnership with television show Generations.

The daily soapie features actual Smart Gym centres, as part of advertising. "Generations has really elevated us to the next level," Mnguni said.

The gyms, strategically located where people work and live, have attracted almost 90 percent first time users. "We design training programmes and diets to meet our users' specific needs."

Lynley Prince, who lives within walking distance of the Metro Centre gym, is one of those new members. "When I started [earlier this year] I had no clue what gyms were all about," Prince said. "Now I have passion for training and I just enjoy it here."

Prince has also convinced a number of his friends to join Smart Gym, with whom he enjoys exercising. "The fees are also reasonable," he added.

Lungelo Mavundla, who recently joined the fitness centre, is one of many young women who are flocking to the place. "The exercises are good," she said, while exercising on a treadmill.

In all, 54 percent of Smart Gym's members were young women, according to Mnguni. "Our facilities are friendly to females ... we have also ensured that all our members feel safe in the gyms."

The latest house music fills the gym, bringing a jovial vibe for the exercisers. And Mnguni explained that African music was a critical part of the business. "We play anything from mbaqanga to kwaito to Afro-soul in the gym ... We're serving an Afropolitan market and music is important to Africans."

Regeneration
The Halala Joburg Awards are run by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).

Smart Gym is credited by the agency for being a significant component in the drive to regenerate public spaces in the inner city. Themed Recreation destination, the award category had nominations from a number of industries, including hospitality, tourism and short-term accommodation projects.

According to the JDA, the category also "recognises original and ground-breaking uses of public space, urban art, sport and recreation facilities, entertainment environments such as theatres and museums as well as social networking settings including restaurants, food services and bars".

"We are adding a lot of value [to Joburg's environment], in view of the City's vision of regenerating buildings," enthused Mnguni. "Smart Gym is a lifestyle brand more than anything else."