You may have heard the buzz about a new gym in town — Kragsentrale, a bouldering spot that’s recently popped up in Observatory. Chevaan Patience, Gym Director at CityROCK Cape Town, stopped by to test out some rad problems and caught up with co-founder, Ben Louw, to chat about the vision, inspiration, and exciting plans ahead. Here’s the scoop!
The Vision: From Stellies to Observatory
Kragsentrale has been two years in the making. Initially, the plan was to open a gym in Stellenbosch, but after encountering a number of hurdles, the founders had to pivot to maintain some sort of momentum while not giving up on the dream. With their excitement already running high (and a shipment of holds en route), they decided to open a smaller gym in Cape Town instead.
But Stellenbosch climbers — watch this space! The Observatory location is just a prototype for something bigger and better planned for 2026. “We’re designing the building from scratch, so we can dream big and do whatever we want,” Ben says. Expect a massive outdoor comp wall as part of that vision- epic things to come!
What’s in a Name?
The gym’s name, Kragsentrale, directly translates to “Power plant.” “It’s about making people better climbers,” Ben explained. A Polish friend, Maciej, suggested the name, and it stuck.
The gym’s core focus is on being a performance training facility. They wanted a space for the more serious climber with challenging grades, and a bunch of board climbing. The place for climbers to get stronger, something SA climbing needs.
Founders & Future Plans
Ben Louw is the gym’s director and a shareholder alongside Jacob Enthoven, his business partner. With ambitious plans to open the Stellenbosch gym by mid 2026, the duo is already dreaming big.
The Kragsentrale Experience
- Staffless 24/7 Access: The gym operates as a membership-based, self-service space. Members can come and go anytime with an access code.
- Not for Beginners: Climbing grades start at 6a/6a+ and ramp up quickly, with the average set around 7a+, beginners are always welcome, but they may not have the best time, haha!
- Current Access: Day passes are available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 4–7 PM. Non-members can climb if accompanied by a member.
- Pricing: Student day pass R75; Adult day pass R99.
- Vending Machine Essentials: Chalk and brushes available for purchase soon, but no shoe rentals- again, this is not a gym focused on beginners .
- Secure Parking: Coming soon across the road at the Cape Town Science Centre.
- Cool but Incognito: No signage on the outside yet. “We’re thinking of a cool design on the door to keep it low-key,” Ben mentions.
- Opening Event: Coming Soon – it’s gonna be a vibe!
Kragsentrale is open but the big launch will happen when the business partners return from snowboarding and climbing at BPump in Japan – adventurers have got to be adventuring! Keep an eye out for what promises to be an epic addition to the climbing community.
For now, climbers in Cape Town have a new training facility — and this is just the beginning.
