With Johannesburg's inner-city regeneration starting to bear fruit, a company this week officially launched the first of several full-facility gyms planned for the city centre.

The R1,5m SmartGym Castle Mansions, which has been open for the past two months at 89 Eloff Street, was developed by Aurik Investment, a venture capital enterprise group that develops new business concepts for inner-city environments.

SmartGym director Pavlo Phitidis said on Tuesday the gym contained state-of-the-art equipment and was developed following market research.

"We conducted a market survey, as well as focus-group research of people who live and work and commute in town, and it was through that that the design of the gym, the facilities we have available at the gym, as well as our operating timetable came out," said Phitidis. He said another five SmartGyms would be launched in Johannesburg's inner city next year.

"The inner city is without a doubt changing as a result of the public sector investment, followed by the private-sector development, which has focused largely around creating residential rental stock. The new consumer market has moved in to take advantage of the new residential stock. They live there but they don?t play there."

Phitidis said market research had shown that people wanted to "live, work and play in the same place". He said 20 inner-city gyms in total were planned in Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria.

Phitidis said SmartGym would focus only on establishing gyms in "high-density city centres".

"Other city centres we would look at would be Durban, Pretoria and then we will move into secondary metropoles from there."