Fujifilm South Africa has officially opened its new local head office, located at 18 Holt Street, Sandton, Johannesburg. The grand opening of the newly constructed building was attended by several local dignitaries, international Fujifilm management as well as the Japanese ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency, Shigeru Ushio.

The opening of the head office coincides with Fujifilm South Africa’s ten-year anniversary celebration in South Africa, having first opened its doors in March 2012 as a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation.

At 999m², the five-storey building incorporates the Fujifilm Technology Centre Africa, office space for employees, boardrooms, a Fujifilm repair centre and a 30-seater auditorium for training purposes.

Speaking at the grand opening of the new head office, Fujifilm South Africa’s Managing Director, Taro Kawano noted, “Today is truly a special occasion in the history of Fujifilm since it marks a new chapter in our relationship with South Africa. Our new head office emphasises Fujifilm’s ongoing commitment to the country, having celebrated a successful decade of local presence. We are proud to be a part of South Africa and we hope to be able to further serve the public through this new premises.”

Beautiful outside, innovation inside 

Importantly, the South African head office was constructed to fall in line with FUJIFILM Holdings’ climate action targets: To produce net zero CO2 emissions by the fiscal year ending March 2041. The 18 Holt Street office is set to meet this goal, having been designed with the help of a green energy consultant. As such, it incorporates the use of solar power panels with a capacity of 65 kVA, biometric access control, motion sensors, day/night lighting and energy efficient plumbing that consumes less water.

Fujifilm’s head office in Johannesburg was designed by Empowered Space Architects and follows the opening of a new Fujifilm office and repair centre in Cape Town during 2021 and the building of the Fujifilm warehouse in Roodepoort in 2017. The offices were constructed by Bantry Construction, with building taking place from March 2022 through to handover to Fujifilm at the end of January 2023. 

Present at the new office is the Fujifilm Technology Centre Africa, which moved from its previous location at the Fujifilm warehouse to the new premises. It is the only Fujifilm Technology Centre on the continent, taking up two floors and providing a demo centre for Fujifilm’s different departments to showcase a myriad of innovative solutions to customers.

This includes products from Medical Systems (radiography, mammography, pathology, X-ray diagnostics), Graphic Communication (wide format printing, packaging, commercial digital and commercial offset), as well as Imaging Solutions (Instax instant cameras and printers, Fujifilm X-series and GFX mirrorless cameras).

Moreover, a 30-seater auditorium now gives Fujifilm South Africa the opportunity to offer product training to customers, run photography workshops and the ability to host events.

The start of a new chapter

During the opening ceremony, Kawano thanked all parties involved in the process. “This beautiful building is testament to the hard work of everyone who contributed. It shows what can be achieved through team effort and dedication. Fujifilm South Africa is proud to now be able to better serve our South Africa customers and contribute to their growth,” he stated.

Kawano mentioned he believes Fujifilm can play a significant part in the future of South Africa, not only through innovative printing and imaging solutions, but also in contributing to African healthcare through Fujifilm’s medical technologies. “At Fujifilm we say ‘Never Stop’ innovating for a better world, and now, at 18 Holt Street, Sandton, Fujifilm South Africa can continue to strive towards this goal. We are looking forward to further decades of local success,” Kawano concluded. 

Images: Nathalie Boucry Photography