01/07/2026
Reddit Hatfield Pretoria
Hatfield in Pretoria – The undervalued suburb surrounding the University of Pretoria is crying out for developer investment and vision, calling out for new hatfield student accommodation developments and hatfield redevelopments.
The long standing residents of the Hatfield suburb – such as the Cochrane family, Scott Cochrane and family Resident on Arcadia Street in Hatfield know the hatfield suburb, Hatfield Pretoria history and potential that the Hatfield suburb has well. It is no secret in Hatfield, Pretoria in both Hatfield West and Hatfield East that strategic buying on each of the streets around the University Sports grounds, yes this is Hatfield pretoria Property investment, purchasing a few 1276m2 erven and developing them over time, yet, in some of the Hatfield Residents opinion, not offering the modern apartments necessary to attract young families, professors employed close by and embassy staff, who’s offices could still be in the Hatfield West node. The economic driver significant enough to actively transform the area around the University of Pretoria and hatfield sports grounds, the Hatfield Student Accommodation enclave to the east of Jan Shoba street in hatfield (Hatfield East) and hatfield to the West of Jan Shoba Street and include some of the abandoned and mothballed hatfield buildings in the Hatfield west suburb, would need to have substantial financial backing and a long term vision. As more and more articles are questioning why the Hatfield East suburb has been forgotten the modern day Investor is taking note. The last few larger tracts when combined to reach the 5 000m2 mark, have all been secured, leaving a few double stands at 2 552m2 and then leaving only the single stands. When exploring the Hatfield East Suburb close to the corner of Arcadia Street and Glyn Street in Hatfield and closer to the Steyn’s cookery and bakery school, some of the Hatfield East landmarks can be seen on Richard Street such as the old Hatfield Cattle Dip, entrances to the University sports and Future Africa entrances, Henk Bakker’s architectural masterpiece on Richard street, the hatfield homes on Arcadia Street (one of the quietest streets in Hatfield as it is a cul-de-sac street), The Technikon Pretoria’s recent purchase and redevelopment of Ditsela place and the Confucius institute also in Ditsela Place at the corner of Jan Shoba Street and Park Street opposite Hatfield Ford . Cochrane can recall visiting the University Sports ground even before the University of Pretoria High Perfomance centre or Hatfield Plaza (pick ‘n pay) were planned or built. COVID 19 and the ability and option offered to work from home during the pandemic, the construction and further expansion of the Gautrain, Uber, Bolt, easy pedestrian access to the Main University campus on Hatfield and University of Pretoria Sports Campus, and Engineering 4, Gautrain’s planned e-hailing expansion, fibre internet connectivity, Convenience of grocery deliveries to your door, TakeAlot and Amazon, expanded Hatfield CID, Omega Security and university funded security patrols. Community involvement and community whatsapp groups, Ward 56 council involvement and the upgraded and updated Spatial development framework and the City Of Tshwane’s renewed call for investment University and Private into the Hatfield suburb have not gone unheard.
The larger land parcels available in Hatfield, are now in Hatfield west, closer to the main campus.
Scott Cochrane is the go to guy when new student accommodation, potential townplanning allowances, approved townplanning and available options in Hatfield are considered. The recent launch of his Whatsapp group for Hatfield Student Accommodation, Launch of the Cochrane PretoriaEast Property Whatsapp channel and his technology forward thinking make him a well know and respected property professional in Pretoria East.
When thinking of the greater Hatfield suburb, the Burnett street strip between Grovenor street in the East and Festival street in the West of this commercial hatfield enclave, the area including the Hatfield Square, Tshwane Metro Police Department satellite monitoring offices, and University of Pretoria Prospect street Pedestrian gate and University of Pretoria Gate 9 motor gate access to the Hatfield University of Pretoria main campus.
The Gautrain expansion, and updated final draft of the Hatfield Spatial development framework are hopefully the catalyst to the development around the Hatfield Gautrain station and Hatfield East Suburb and Hatfield West suburbs as they are part of the modern day transport hub that a world class station in the greater hatfield suburb needs. The Jacaranda lined streets of hatfield East in The hatfield enclave which is East of Jan Shoba street, has Jan Shoba street as its Border in the west, Richard street and End street as the eastern border, Boundary lane as the southern most border - Next to DSG school and Glyn Lane as the Northern Most border. The Sports community in the Hatfield suburb also require quality modern accommodation and facilities around the Hatfield Gautrain Station, close to all forms of transport in the Hatfield transport hub such as the Prasa Station and E-hailing and bicycle stations, vehicle charging options in the malls and hatfield fuel stations closer to the freeway access.
The thinking to stagger this amongst the property development community to work towards a developed and modern hatfield Pretoria where the target market of student accommodation are catered to and their needs fully met.
The office spaces closer to the Embassy offices and Gautrain station to the west of Gautrain Hatfield attract a healthy tenant mix such as the RAF // Prasa building in Hatfield. Ext to the Shell filling station. Post Covid 19 and the ability to work remotely or as a digital nomad, Hatfield would need some vision to adapt to the current needs, requirements and preferred requirements of the Student and business community of Hatfield. The Hatfield CID have shared their vision for the suburb as an interested and affected party with the dwindling residential coming still resident on Arcadia Street between glyn street and Richard street - as Arcadia Street in Hatfield is the main pedestrian route to the Gautrain hatfield Station (2 city blocks) from this student accommodation future development site. There are many examples in the grater hatfield suburb where the suburb’s rapidly development has been misread by developers in recent years, resulting in either abandoned buildings building which would be impossible to repurpose or the institutional vision for the suburb is promised but delayed.
The City of Tshwane’s call for densification in the far undervalued enclave of Hatfield properties is perspicuous - there is a need for quality modern student accommodation close to the Hatfield main campus, Gautrain station Hatfield before the expansion towards the new planned Randburg station and Tuks sport high performance centre.
Scott Cochrane is a well known Hatfield resident since Hatfield Primary school was still in the suburb. Scott’s knowledge about the suburb was gained during his Pretoria news afternoon paper routes through hatfield for newspaper deliveries to your door. Scott Cochrane is available online and would be a very good person to talk to concerning the few remaining hatfield families homes, Planned future hatfield student accommodation developments, planned Gautrain station development developments, Bulk off-grid engineering projects, hatfield townplanning already granted, townplanning applications in progress, commercial undertakings, hatfield car rentals, hatfield self storage and storage options, hatfield offices, courier guy lockers, pudo lockers, bid or buy lockers, restaurants and clubs, fibre internet, pending house sales, pending student developments, City of Tshwane football fields and voting stations, hatfield erven Consolidations, and schools in the Hatfield suburb.
Scott Cochrane is available online
