South Africa Skyscraper: $230 mln building set to be tallest in Africa upon completion

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02:32

If you're into architecture, there's something to be excited about in South Africa. A skyscraper in Sandton is nearing completion and its set to be the tallest in the country. The Carlton Centre in Johannesburg's central business district has been the tallest structure there for over 40 years, but the Leonardo, whose construction started in 2015, is about to take the crown. CGTN's Julie Scheier has more.

Sandton is known for being the richest square mile in Africa. It's home to the stock exchange and will now house the continent's tallest building. Leonardo, the new kid on the block, was designed by a South African team.

PATRICK McINERNEY CEO, CO-ARC INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTS "It was a huge honour and, and an incredible responsibility to be given a job like that, and it's unusual because most of the very large jobs in South Africa are done by overseas architects that are brought in and then there's a local architect of record. But in this case, the entire professional team is South African."

The 230 million dollar skyscraper was born out of a failed development.

It's become a silver lining in one of South Africa's worst economic periods. The construction phase created 20 000 jobs.

PATRICK McINERNEY CEO, CO-ARC INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTS "Building a structure that had to be 50 storeys in that existing hole was quite a challenge, and began to dictate what the building looked like. It is a beacon of hope, it's kind of in a depressed economy that South Africa's been in. It's a major statement about an optimism about the future of South Africa and its people."

In 2017, Sandton attracted around 24 million visitors, this could rise significantly when the Leonardo opens its doors.

The mixed development skyscraper will host the highest hotel in Africa and a 360-degree sky tower on the top floor.

LAURA VERCUEIL PR & COMMUNICATION MANAGER, JOBURG TOURISM "People love views. They love to get up and see where they are, and to see where the other nodes of the city are as well. And this one being sort of the furthest north, it's going to be stunning because you also going to get that whole view into Magaliesburg and into the Pretoria area."

JULIE SCHEIER JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA "The steady rise of the Leonardo over the Sandton skyline has been hard to miss. It dwarfs anything in close proximity to it. It's expected to be a hit upon completion, for people wanting to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking views from the building."

But with skyscrapers going up in Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt, the Leonardo's title for being the tallest in the land, maybe short-lived. JS, CGTN, JHB, SOUTH AFRICA.