The Sapphire Brings New Life to a Former Office Block in Jewel City

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1 November 2025

Divercity Urban Property Group has welcomed its newest residential building to Jewel City. The Sapphire, on Fox Street in the heart of the precinct, is the conversion of a former office block into modern rental apartments, adding another chapter to Jewel City’s transformation from a closed off commercial district into one of Johannesburg’s most vibrant inner city neighbourhoods.

From office block to home

The Sapphire reflects Divercity’s approach to urban regeneration: taking underused commercial buildings and reimagining them as well located, affordable rental housing. Rather than adding to urban sprawl, this kind of conversion puts existing infrastructure back to work, bringing new residents into a part of the city that already offers transport links, retail, and employment opportunities on its doorstep.

The building offers a mix of bachelor and two bedroom apartments, along with communal pod living for residents looking for an affordable, professional co-living option. Each pod is a private, lockable bedroom within a shared unit, with access to a communal kitchen and bathroom, a practical option for young professionals entering the city rental market.

Part of a bigger precinct

As with every building in Jewel City, residents of The Sapphire have access to the full range of precinct amenities. This includes 24/7 security, on-site schooling, a creche, co-working space, a gym, a laundromat, and a variety of retail and dining options including Shoprite, Clicks, Pep, and several well known food outlets.

At a glance

Located on Fox Street, Jewel City, Johannesburg CBD
A converted former office block, now residential
Bachelor and two bedroom apartments, plus communal pod living
Free uncapped fibre and 24/7 security
Full access to Jewel City precinct amenities and retail

Continuing the story of Jewel City

The Sapphire is a reminder of what is possible when a city’s existing buildings are given a new purpose. Jewel City has grown block by block into a precinct that combines residential, retail, and commercial space in the heart of Johannesburg, and this latest conversion continues that momentum, offering more people the chance to live well located, close to opportunity, in a safe and managed environment.

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By 2030, the UN’s goal is to ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services.

Our impact

Over the next five 5 years, Divercity expects to construct more than 10,000 new and green affordable residential units in centrally-located neighbourhoods, expanding housing options close to economic opportunity for low- and middle-income households. Construction of the new residential units will help address the growing housing deficit and issues of spatial segregation in South Africa.

By 2030, the UN’s goal is to develop reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all

Our impact

Divercity is providing housing in locations that are connected to existing infrastructure, such as healthcare, schools, jobs and parks. This serves to reinforce accessible and equitable cities, as well as strives to break the destructive pattern of South Africa’s apartheid infrastructure and planning.

By 2030, the UN’s goal is to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related disasters

Our impact

More compact cities – enabled through the kind of development that Diversity advances – are associated with substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions, better land-use, and energy and resource efficiency, based on research 1 we’ve done with the Green Building Council South Africa (GBSCA) and Arup. Divercity has a commitment to minimising greenhouse gas emissions and is already supporting climate change mitigation through a range of measures, such as rooftop solar arrays, energy and water efficient design in all of our buildings and EDGE rating of all new developments.

By 2030, the UN’s goal is to ensure equitable and quality to pre-primary, primary and secondary education and lifelong learning

Our impact

Through our Ithemba Upliftment Foundation, we are contributing to early childhood development, enabling hundreds of young children to receive quality education at Daycare Centres in our precnits. This is in addition to the widened access to formal education facilities that are part of our developments, and our efforts in supporting lifelong learning through supporting adult education.

By 2030, the UN’s goal is to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, renewable and modern energy sources

Our impact

As the cost of renewable energy generation capacity becomes more accessible and affordable, we are integrating these technologies more broadly across our residential portfolio. Divercity is focussed on eco-responsible housing as a viable means to contribute to sustainable and environmentally friendly urban development – through rigorous adherence to green building standards, including the use of energy efficient LED lights, rooftop solar arrays, energy efficient hot water generation and energy efficient building design.

By 2030, the UN’s goal is to encourage and promote effective public, private and civil society partnerships to attain the global goals

Our impact

Our partnerships empower us to champion progressive policy that supports sustainable development. One impactful example of such a partnership is our work with Green Building Council South Africa (GBSCA) and Arup, the global multi-disciplinary firm, on a research project on the enormous environmental and economic costs of the current dynamic of urban sprawl in Johannesburg. Through this project, we developed actionable recommendations for policymakers, investors and other stakeholder groups.
You can read more about the research project, titled: Does location matter? here.