FACTFILE:
Location: Western Cape, South Africa
Venues: Tokai, Century City, Somerset West (opening soon)
Activities: Trampolines, climbing, zipline, football, ninja run, pedal karts and more
General admission: ZAR150 per hour
Opening hours: 9am – 9pm
F&B: Burgers, pizza, chicken and more
Parties: Able to host 100-plus children
Cashless: No cash accepted
THIS IS FREEDOM:
The Western Cape of South Africa is widely described as one of the world’s most beautiful locations. On its coast, aquamarine waves crash over golden sands, while further inland snow capped mountains dominate the horizon. With natural beauty like this, is it any surprise that more than seven million people choose to call it home?
However, this is not a travel magazine. Instead, we focus on those bringing fun to destinations around the world, and the Western Cape is home to a brand that is delighting both locals and tourists. Freedom Adventure Park, a chain of two indoor play parks with a third on the way, is making a name for itself across the region by bringing together a diverse mix of attractions under one roof.
It is the brainchild of Jonathan Goosen and Chanette Gosen, serial entrepreneurs in South Africa’s growing entertainment scene. The husband and wife team have spent the last 12 years in the FEC industry, founding play brands, building them up, selling them on, and then moving on to the next adventure.
Freedom is their third brand and currently has two locations: the first in the South Palms Centre in Tokai and the second inside Canal Walk Shopping Centre in Century City. But why three brands? What makes Freedom different from their previous ventures?
“We saw the market change,” Jonathan Goosen told InterFun. “You can’t just be a trampoline park. In essence, you’re designing these parks for families, with the parents in mind.”
For this latest development, Goosen moved beyond the old “trampolines in a box” model and packed the venues with activities that appeal to children of all ages.
“We’ve evolved from trampolines,” he said. “What we’ve tried to achieve is having as many value add activities as we can in the space.”
“Your core market will always be eight to 14 year olds. I think from 16 and onwards it changes dramatically, but before that the parents decide where the spend goes, so we focus hard on them.”
The Tokai venue is geared for ages 0 to 12 and features trampolines, climbing walls, ropes courses, and soft play. Canal Walk caters for all ages and includes a large open jump space, Rugged Interactive products, a ropes course with a 30 metre zipline, a ninja run, indoor soccer, air bags, five large drop slides, wave slides, and plans to remove its pedal car track in order to install 22 Clip ’n Climb climbing lines.
The company’s focus on parents extends beyond the attractions and into the amenities that make Freedom Adventure Park a pleasant place to spend the day. Goosen has introduced work pods to the facilities, while the venues also offer free wi fi. Attention has also been given to the food and beverage side of the business, with Freedom teaming up with South African boutique coffee brand Bootlegger Coffee to elevate its refreshment offering.
For food, the park offers a curated menu of burgers, pizzas, and milkshakes. The menu is intentionally kept small, with Goosen choosing to focus on doing a few things well rather than offering an expansive menu of lower quality.
Freedom Adventure Park was built with help from The Play Company, with the team supplying a wide range of play equipment based on Goosen’s design.
“We go through The Play Company with Elliot, Sam, and Rob. From there we’ve branched out through them to the products we want to offer,” he said.
“You can always import from China, but we’ve chosen not to, just from a safety, quality, and innovation perspective.”
“Additionally, in our larger parks, we have a dedicated sectioned off toddler area for those aged five and under. Most parks have cones that demarcate a toddler area, but there’s crossover there and the injury risk is too high. Our parks have a dedicated area with their own trampolines, their own soft play, and their own interactive equipment.”
The inside of both Freedom Adventure Parks is bright and inviting. High ceilings and large windows bring in plenty of natural light, while uninterrupted floor space allows play to happen without obstruction. The brand’s two main motifs are its astronauts and hexagonal illustrations.
Goosen explained: “I was the one behind the design and the theme, and then it got outsourced to our team who did the spraying.”
“We chose Freedom as the name, and we link it with the astronaut theme which takes you on a journey.”
“The reason we chose that theme is because it’s not a look that will date. It resonates with both kids and adults and it’s a brand that we’ve incorporated over the past couple of years which has worked well for us. It’s our brand identity.”
“Anything space related, most kids now tend to think of Freedom, which has worked amazingly for us.”
“We used to do hang banners, but over time they stretch out and look tired, so we’ve switched to spray artwork.”
With a population of around seven million people, the Western Cape represents a growing market for children’s play and family entertainment. While the region is home to several established operators in the sector, Goosen says his extensive experience in the industry leaves him unfazed by competition. Instead, he emphasises the importance of differentiation, quality experiences, and strong operational fundamentals — advice he believes is valuable for any business navigating a competitive landscape.
“Our gameplan for Freedom is to lock in strategic locations,” he said. “We’re not focused on rolling out 20 locations. We want to roll out five to eight in specific malls that we’ve targeted. It’s not a cookie cutter approach.”
“Each park will be uniquely designed to suit the specific target market within its region. While the overall look and feel will remain consistent across locations, the mix of activities will vary, ensuring that every park offers a distinct experience tailored to its local audience.”
Both the Canal Walk and upcoming Somerset Walk venues are located in malls, something Goosen says suits the preferences of the South African public and reflects the climate in that part of the world.
“In South Africa, malls are generally the destination most people go to. At our Canal Walk and Somerset West locations, much of the surrounding area is apartment living. The mall, in essence, is their backyard. Even if they’re not coming to shop or buy anything, they come and walk around.”
“Canal Walk’s footfall per annum is 19 million to 20 million people. Somerset West gets 10 million to 12 million. People do love going out and being near the coast, so when it’s a hot period you see a dip, but two or three days after that the numbers are back up because they’ve had enough sun. South Africa is still big into malls and mall shopping.”
Given the level of local competition, Freedom Adventure Park requires a strong marketing plan to stay competitive. In addition to traditional social media marketing, Goosen says some of the best performing campaigns come through external partnerships.
“What we’ve done is affiliate with strategic partners like Cape Town Tourism. They’re a big brand and a major marketing platform for both locals and tourists. We sign up with them as a premium member and they then market to their local database and their external tourism database, which helps us significantly.”
“Our landlord has also been a strong strategic partner in our success, actively supporting the performance of the centres in which we operate. Through their extensive database of more than 40,000 children and affiliated clubs, we are able to market directly to highly relevant audiences. This is complemented by our own social media and digital marketing efforts, which focus on building brand presence and awareness.”
“Together, these initiatives help ensure that the malls are well run, the locations thrive, and that all tenants, including Freedom, benefit from the collaborative work being done.”
Much of Freedom’s business comes through online bookings, for which it uses the LilYPad POS system, which Goosen says has worked very well. Once guests step inside the park, they’ll also notice that the venue operates on a fully cashless basis — a deliberate decision rooted in safety.
“From a business and safety perspective, we want to ensure that our staff, our guests, and everyone who visits our parks feels secure,” he said. “By operating cashless, we’re able to minimise potential safety concerns and create an environment where the focus remains on fun, enjoyment, and peace of mind.”
According to Goosen, income at Freedom is split roughly 60 per cent pay to play and 40 per cent food and beverage, no doubt supported by his passion for creating an elevated dining experience that encourages people to stay longer.
Key to the success of Freedom, and any other entertainment venue, is getting the right landlord, Goosen explained.
“There are many malls that we’d like to be in where space does become available, but I don’t want to be in the back corner where there was a laundromat that has closed. Family entertainment, and landlords are slowly starting to realise this, is an anchor tenant.”
“You need to be one of the main pieces in the mall with the correct facilities. If it’s too small, it won’t work. If the roof height isn’t great, it won’t work. It’s not just about opening, it’s where you are in the mall and how you use the space.”
“Some locations we’ve been offered have had other play centres already operating, but we’ve turned them down, which is sad because we know they won’t be there very long when something bigger and better opens in a better location. You’re almost a sitting duck because it’s just a matter of time. It’s nothing you’ve done wrong, it’s the landlord.”
“One of the critical points we’ve learned over the years is how important the landlord is. You need to have 100 per cent buy in from the landlord.”
“It’s not tenant and landlord, it’s a partnership. The customer that comes here creates dwell time in the mall. They walk around and buy those shoes they weren’t going to buy. So now other tenants are benefiting from what we’ve got here, and we’ve got them here for a minimum of an hour. If you want that dwell time and that customer spending, the landlord needs to keep that in mind.”
Whatever Goosen is doing in his venues is working. Footfall is consistent and he is already talking about expanding even further once his third location opens later this year. For this operator, life is good in the Western Cape of South Africa.
