South African fitness technology company, Octiv, has launched Octiv Explore, a major consumer-facing feature designed to transform how people discover, book and pay for fitness experiences while giving independent gyms a powerful new channel to attract customers.
The launch marks the company’s biggest product release to date and represents a significant step in its ambition to become a global leader in fitness technology.
Already powering more than 1,400 gyms and serving over 200,000 active users across more than 40 countries, Octiv says the new feature converts its business management platform into a discovery engine for the boutique and independent fitness sector.
This enables consumers to find gyms in seconds while helping operators grow their businesses without increasing administrative workload.
The latest innovation extends Octiv’s role beyond providing operational software for fitness businesses to becoming a marketplace that connects gym owners directly with prospective customers.
Through an interactive map and integrated booking system, consumers can now search for fitness facilities, explore their offerings, reserve classes and complete payments within a single digital experience.
What is Octiv Explore?
Octiv Explore is a newly launched feature that serves as a digital storefront for every gym operating on the Octiv platform.
Rather than functioning solely as back-office software for gym operators, the platform now also enables consumers to easily discover fitness centres, compare options and make bookings from one central location.
According to Octiv, Explore places every participating gym on an interactive map where users can browse nearby facilities, access detailed gym profiles, book classes and pay seamlessly without needing to switch between multiple applications or websites.
The development builds on Octiv’s existing suite of business management tools, which already helps fitness operators manage class schedules, memberships, payments and access control.
By integrating consumer discovery into the same ecosystem, the company is positioning itself as an end-to-end technology platform for the global fitness industry.
Why This Matters for Independent Gym Owners
For many independent gyms and boutique fitness studios, attracting new members often requires significant investments in marketing, websites, booking systems and customer management tools.
Octiv says Explore removes much of that complexity by automatically giving every gym on its platform an online storefront that potential customers can easily find. The company noted that the feature creates “new acquisition channels with zero additional admin” for gym owners.
In practical terms, this means operators can gain greater visibility among consumers actively searching for fitness experiences without taking on additional administrative work or investing in separate marketing platforms.
By simplifying customer acquisition while maintaining the operational tools gyms already rely on, Octiv believes Explore will enable smaller fitness businesses to compete more effectively with larger commercial gym chains.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Fawzy said the platform was designed to support business growth without increasing operational burdens.
“Octiv Explore is built to bring gyms more traffic, more conversions and more opportunities, without adding more to their workload,” he said.
Consumer-Facing Feature: What It Means
Before the launch of Explore, Octiv primarily operated behind the scenes, providing software that gym owners and staff used to manage daily business operations.
The introduction of Explore changes that by placing consumers at the centre of the platform. Instead of interacting only with gym operators, Octiv now enables fitness enthusiasts to search for nearby gyms, review available classes, compare facilities and complete bookings directly through the platform.
The feature is expected to be particularly valuable for people travelling or relocating temporarily, allowing them to quickly identify suitable fitness centres wherever they are without spending time searching across multiple websites or mobile applications.
This shift transforms Octiv from a business management platform into a consumer marketplace that connects demand with supply, creating value for both gym operators and fitness enthusiasts.
Supporting Small Businesses Through Technology
Beyond simplifying gym discovery, Octiv says the broader objective is to empower independent fitness businesses with technology traditionally available only to much larger organisations.
Fawzy emphasised that independent gyms remain central to the global fitness ecosystem.
“Independent gyms are the heart of the global fitness landscape. With Octiv Explore, we’re not just helping people find gyms, we’re helping small businesses operate at an enterprise level, grow their communities and unlock their full potential.”
The statement reflects the company’s strategy of using technology to level the playing field for smaller operators, enabling them to improve customer acquisition, streamline operations and expand their reach without significantly increasing costs.
Building on Strong Growth and Investor Confidence
The launch also highlights Octiv’s continued growth following earlier investment support from South African angel investors and venture capital firm Knife Capital during its Series A funding round in 2022.
With operations spanning more than 40 countries and a network of over 1,400 gyms serving more than 200,000 active users, the company has steadily expanded its footprint in the global fitness technology market.
By introducing Explore, Octiv is moving beyond traditional gym management software toward becoming a comprehensive digital ecosystem where fitness businesses can manage operations, attract customers and facilitate seamless bookings and payments within a single platform.
With digital transformation continuing to reshape the global fitness industry, Octiv is obviously betting that combining business management with consumer discovery will strengthen the competitiveness of independent gyms while making it easier than ever for people to find the right place to achieve their fitness goals.
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