South African health club chain Planet Fitness is continuing with its national rollout programme, announcing its 12th site.

Due to open in December 2004 in Plattekloof, with views of the Table Mountain, the club will be the company’s fourth facility in Cape Town and follows the recent opening of its Craighall Park club in Johannesburg.

The company was launched in 1995 when group managing director, Manny Rivera, formerly of New York City’s Bally Total Fitness, identified a gap in the fitness market.

He joined forces with South African partners, Mannee De Wet and Willie Brase, to form Planet Fitness.

The chain now has more than 100,000 members and is in the process of executing a controlled rollout plan, which will see 40 fitness centres open across all the major growth areas of South Africa.

Each Planet Fitness club has a wellness area, as well as an advanced weights, free weights and a complete cardio area.

Indoor heated swimming pools and squash courts also feature.

Lifestyle areas include group training classes and virtual reality group cycling, while changing rooms boast locker room attendants, steamrooms and saunas.

Supervised childcare facilities are available in Planet Kids.

Free assessments are offered every two months and members can choose a general assessment to measure weight and fat ratios or have a consultation with a bio-kinetecist about exercise and diet.

One of company’s strongest selling points is its 24-hour opening policy during weekdays and extended weekend hours – the Wanderers and Craighall clubs are open 24 hours, seven days a week.

Rivera said the group prides itself on knowing and understanding the culture of South Africa and claims it is this understanding which has enabled it to structure its fitness centre concept to suit the lifestyles of working South Africans.