A guide to the potential benefits of relocating to Africa

In the recent past, many people will not have given a great deal of thought to the idea of relocating to Africa.

The continent has gained a reputation as lacking in infrastructure and general development in several areas.

This has put off businesses that were looking to potentially expand their product within a new market.

However, there is sufficient recent evidence that such a perception is changing, and that the African continent had made strides in several areas which make it a more attractive proposition for businesses of all sizes.

Property is just one example of such progression.

The inaugural African Property Investment summit took place recently with those present expressing a strong belief that the real estate opportunities in the continent are growing in strength all the time.

The event was hosted by Liberty Properties and their Chief Executive, Samuel Ogbu, was particularly optimistic about the future when questioned.

“We are a firm advocate of the opportunities presented on the continent (Africa) and believe that all indicators point to the potential for real transformational growth.

“There is improved governance and political stability, increased securitisation and maturing capital markets, all of which are driven by a population of over one million consumers demanding attention,” stated Mr. Ogbu.

Some of the issues which were discussed at the summit included the strength of the hotel industry within the continent, pension funds and proposed solutions to common issues such as poor infrastructure.

Brett Abrahamse, Business Development Manager at Liberty Properties, outlined the case for Africa as a viable region for relocation in the future.

“In the past decade we have seen a tenfold increase in the market capitalisation of listed property in South Africa.

This is still likely to grow in the next three to four years. There’s a growing appetite for retail and mixed used developments on the continent, an example is the Levy Shopping Centre in Zambia.”

Considering the growing strength of the property sector, and more specifically the hotel trade, is it time you started considering the benefits of relocating staff to Africa?