Maker of BlackBerry products, Research In Motion (RIM), has teamed up with Johannesburg City Parks and Sandton Central Management to revamp and sponsor a prominent park in a key business district.

The project, which is a collaborative work among the entities together with Smile Media, was six years in the pipeline, according to Rookshana Desai, the marketing manager at Sandton Central Management District.

Dubbed the Blackberry Sandton Central Park, the project was unveiled yesterday after it received its makeover thanks to sponsorships deals from RIM and financial services firm Standard Bank.

Desai says the park, located in the heart of Johannesburg’s business district Sandton, would be a space for residents and employees in the area to relax and take a break from the daily hustle and bustle of the city.

“The blackberry brand has become synonymous with people collaborating, people staying connected, sharing and socialising – so naturally this project was a fit for us,” said Robyn Milham, head of retail sales in South Africa, RIM.

“We believe that this gives us the opportunity to reach out to our customers in a more meaningful way, and we’re also very excited to be a part of this collaboration,” she explained.

South Africa has been RIM’s main shining light in a global tech market where it has seen a drastic decline in user numbers.

According to GfK Retail and Technology, BlackBerry smartphones accounted for 7 out of the 10 best-selling smartphones in South Africa in May 2012.