End of an Era: Telkom’s Iconic Clayville Training Campus Goes Under the Hammer

For generations of Telkom employees, it was more than a workplaceit was a launchpad. A place where careers began, skills were honed, and lifelong friendships formed. But this chapter is closing. The Telkom Centre for Learning in Clayville East, a sprawling corporate training campus that has shaped thousands of careers, will go to auction on Thursday, 19 February 2026.

“I remember my first day at this place. When my life started to change,” one former student reflected on social media. “I met interesting people. We become one big family. Today I’m here, missing those beautiful memories.”

A Campus Built for Learning

Set on a massive 24.7-hectare erf in Olifantsfontein, the purpose-built facility is strategically positioned near major transport routes, offering convenient access from Midrand, Kempton Park, and Pretoria. The campus features modern classrooms and lecture halls equipped with advanced technology, practical training areas simulating real-world working conditions, secure premises with controlled access, ample parking, and landscaped grounds conducive to a professional learning environment.

“Low-Hanging Fruit” in Gauteng’s Adaptive Reuse Market

According to Jayson-Lee Collins, Director of Broll Auctions and Sales, the campus represents a rare opportunity for investors. “This property has great redevelopment potential for technical schools or an astute commercial investor and could be considered low-hanging fruit in the adaptive reuse market,” he said.

With Gauteng’s commercial property sector showing signs of “cautious stabilisation and selective growth,” investors are increasingly favouring retrofitting and mixed-use conversions over the high cost of new constructiona trend known as adaptive reuse. Collins noted that under-utilised properties with strong infrastructure and strategic locations represent “the type of adaptable commercial assets of which investors dream.”

The property will be sold 91.7% vacant, with the existing lease concluding mid-2027, providing incoming buyers near-immediate flexibility for redevelopment or re-tenanting.

Part of a Broader Strategic Shift

The Clayville auction is the latest in Telkom’s ongoing strategy to unlock value from non-core assets. Since 2021, the telecommunications operator has systematically disposed of properties across the country, raising hundreds of millions in the process.

In September 2024, Telkom’s national property disposal auction generated a record R617 million in turnover, with all 17 properties on offer soldthe largest property auction by turnover in South African history. According to Telkom’s financial reporting, proceeds from property sales have contributed significantly to the company’s cash reserves and strategic repositioning.

Hein Hattingh, managing director of In2assets, which has handled several Telkom auctions, described the strategy as a “strategic move for parastatal institutions like Telkom to turn non-core buildings and land into vital cash injections.”

What’s Next for the Campus?

The Clayville campus will be auctioned on 19 February 2026 through Broll Auctions and Sales. Prospective buyers are eyeing several potential uses:

• Technical or vocational educational facilitiesa natural fit given the existing infrastructure

• Mixed-use developments combining residential, commercial, and educational components

• Corporate headquarters for businesses seeking a campus-style environment

• Light industrial or logistics applications given its transport access

For those who trained within its walls, the sale carries emotional weight. But for investors, it represents something else: a chance to reimagine a landmark property for a new generation. Whether it becomes a university satellite campus, a mixed-use precinct, or something entirely unexpected, the Telkom Centre for Learning’s next chapter is about to begin.

The gavel falls on Thursday. The memories, however, will linger far longer.

{Source: Mybroadband}

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