Workshop17 Co-founders: Our Story
Mark Seftel (Left) & Paul Keursten (Right)
Paul and Mark first crossed paths in Joburg’s Maboneng Precinct, introduced by architect Enrico Daffonchio, who realised that Paul’s shared workspace in Utrecht and Mark’s dream of a techie hub might just be coworking soulmates in the making. Paul quickly convinced Mark that the space should be for everyone, not just hoodie-wearing coders, and together they built a “coral reef” of creativity halfway between Soweto and Sandton.
A workspace for everyone
The V&A Waterfront’s David Green spotted the magic and invited them to create Workshop17 Watershed, which put them firmly on the map and led to a partnership with Growthpoint, who believed in “this new way of working” long before it became a LinkedIn buzzword. In 2019, WeWork nearly bought Workshop17 for around a billion rand (yes, with a “b”), but two weeks later their valuation collapsed, a global pandemic arrived, and Paul and Mark were left with debt, determination, and zero interest in giving up.
Instead of liquidating, they pivoted from asset-heavy leases to an asset-light management model, drawing on decades of hospitality know-how and cleaning up the balance sheet faster than you can say “hybrid work.”
Today, we celebrate 12 years of experience, 16 locations, and a team obsessed with beautiful, human-centred spaces.
Measured by Paul (impact and people) and zealous Mark (innovation and opportunity) are still doing what they do best: building places where work works better; for members, communities, and the world around them, with creativity to keep it interesting.
