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Real Estate & Construction
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The construction sector of Zambia is doing quite
well, and there are many opportunities for invest-
ment across a number of construction platforms.
Construction projects for the mining industry, infra-
structure development, shopping center, and resi-
dential buildings are ongoing.
Regarding the real estate and housing market of
Zambia, there is a critical shortage of housing, and
this has been an issue since the country first gained
independence. This is a particularly large problem in
many urban centers and growing towns and districts.
In places where mining activities have resurged, like
the Copperbelt and NorthWestern Province, there
are also housing shortages.
There is huge investment potential in modern clus-
ter-style homes and commercial/social facilities.
There is also a considerable demand for social in-
frastructure, including the construction and develop-
ment of schools, health facilities, and other public
infrastructure services.
REAL ESTATE
Housing has been declared a priority sector by the
government, recognizing the fact that decent hous-
ing and shelter is a basic human need and that home
ownership is a form of wealth creation. Rapid popu-
lation growth combined with rural-urban migration
has resulted in a greater demand for housing, par-
ticularly in Lusaka.
Some success has been achieved through the Na-
tional Housing Authority (NHA), which has helped
develop the Kabwata Estates, the Woodlands Ex-
tension, the Nyumba Yanga, and the Copperbelt.
This development has resulted in executive, high,
medium, and low-cost housing. The NHA is also in-
volved in the upgrading of unplanned settlements,
employment creation for unskilled and skilled labor
in the construction-related areas of engineering, ar-
chitecture, and surveying, and promoting local build-
ing materials and technology. That being said, the
existing housing deficit is too large for the state to
deal with alone.
There is a need to integrate government and pri-
vate sector efforts, which, through PPP initiatives is
becoming a reality. One successful PPP is the Sil-
versest Gardens, a partnership between the Zam-
bia Development Agency (ZDA) and China Heinan
Corporation.
INFRASTRUCTURE
One of the primary roadblocks affecting the coun-
try’s growth, economic diversification, and human
development is its infrastructure. Infrastructure de-
velopment is one of the government’s priorities at the
moment, and it is included in the Sixth National De-
velopment Plan and the National Vision 2030. Both
plans aim to achieve the availability of reliable and
affordable public infrastructure services.
HOTEL MARKET
The Zambian government has taken great care to
support the growth of travel and tourism through the
development of the infrastructure surrounding tourist
destinations.
There is a relatively high license fee for private in-
vestors building hotels and other travel accommoda-
tions. Furthermore, the hospitality sector is subject
to a number of additional taxes, as the government
seeks to maximize the amount of foreign income
coming into the country.
Credit: B
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Credit: B
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