The university has been unlocking the value in its vacant land in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, as part of a broader fundraising campaign, conducted mainly through long-term land leases.

The R100m Absa customer contact centre facility adds to other development projects lured to Kingsway Avenue, near the university.

So far, an 18500m² shopping centre, Campus Square, and a McDonald's outlet have been developed at the corner of Kingsway Avenue and Main Road.

The Absa facility stands at the back of the Campus Square site, on the corner of Kingsway Avenue and Lothbury Road. Abland, which is developing the facility, and Absa, its user, have a long-term renewable lease on the land.

Absa Contact Centres GM Tania Joffe says the facility will house the support centre for Absa's internet and telephone banking, internet access facility, collections, small business banking, retail banking sales, Bankfin and home loans.

It will also house staff services such as human resources and information technology desktop support.

Joffe says the site was chosen for its proximity to amenities including shopping centres, bus routes and access to the highway, as well as the two Telkom exchanges in Melville and Johannesburg, which provide dual routing options to ensure full business continuity even in the event of disaster. The building occupies 12000m².

Business Day