By Abdi Ali
Published September 24, 2018
Africa’s winning real estate developments in 2018 have been unveiled during the 9th Africa Property Investment Summit & Expo (API) in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Winning projects, singled out for innovation and outstanding achievement in 11 categories, are from Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Mauritius, Ghana and Nigeria.
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The categories under which projects were judged, API says, were: Retail, Office, Mixed Use, Green Building, Hotel, Alternative Asset, Architectural Design, High-end residential, logistics and best women in Property.
The awards provided what Kfir Rusin, Managing Director of API Events, describes as ‘a moment of peer recognition for completed projects’.
The projects, API Events says, were judged on criteria such as location, infrastructure and transport access, integration into the environment, originality of the concept, technical and architectural quality, services offered, sensitivity to the local community, innovation, sustainability, corporate staff involvement, response to market demands, financial performance, occupancy, and the impact of the project on economic convergence.
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The winning projects are:
- Best Mixed-Use Development: Two Rivers Mall, Nairobi, Kenya
Two Rivers caters for work providing modern spaces that help people save time, work efficiently with easy access to other parts of town. These spaces also integrate green technologies and intelligent building management systems for effective, sustainable resource usage. - Best Logistics/Industrial Development: ALP North Distribution Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
ALP North development consists of three class-A distribution centres. The first two units measure 13,634 square metres each and remaining unit measures 19,661 square metres. All units are designed as multi-tenant facilities. ALP commenced speculative warehouse construction in May 2017 and delivered the first phase comprising the first two units by 31st July 2018. Phase two comprising of the remaining third unit will be delivered in April 2019. Pre-leases have already been signed with international and regional companies on the first two units.
- Best Green-Building Development: Strathmore University, Kenya
Strathmore Law School (SLS) is one of the constituent schools of Strathmore University (SU), a leading non-profit private university in Kenya, which aims at serving the Kenyan society to the best of its ability. SU holds a peerless reputation for quality in academic and professional education as well as personal formation.
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Best Hotel Development: Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda
The convention centre managed by the Radisson Blu is the first of its kind in Rwanda. With state-of-the-art equipment and facilities this land mark can host up to 5000 delegates at a time. It consists of 18 meeting rooms including an auditorium with a capacity of 2600 seats.
- Best Alternative Asset (Refurbished Asset): KBC, Kigali, Rwanda
KBC is a landmark commercial building that was a household name since 2003 until it closed for a major facelift in 2015. The property is located literally across the iconic Kigali Convention Center and the Radisson Blu Hotel. The geographical positioning of KBC is so central that it strategically fits between CBD and the major middle & high income residential neighbourhoods.
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Best Architectural Design: Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda
The convention centre managed by the Radisson Blu is the first of its kind in Rwanda. With state-of-the-art equipment and this land mark can host up to 5000 delegates at a time.
It consists of 18 meeting rooms including an auditorium with a capacity of 2600 seats. The versatile meeting space that can host from small group meetings and trainings to international conferences, sports events, wedding ceremonies, as well as exhibitions, is the perfect destination for meeting and events planners.- Best Retail Development: Baia Mall, Maputo, Mozambique
Baia Mall is a first of it’s kind, institutional quality shopping mall in Maputo that is built to world class standards and also caters to the needs of the local Mozambican community.
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- High-End Residential: Primevillas, Lusaka, Zambia
Primevillas, a housing complex right in the heart of Lusaka the Capital City of Zambia. It is in the center of the Diplomatic Triangle where almost all of the embassies are located and the State House. This neighborhood boasts of being the safest in the city if not the country and positioned to enjoy the proximity to restaurants, shopping centers, hospitals and the Lusaka Golf Club. The Primevillas are designed with modern luxury and prestigious townhouse concepts to reflect the personality and taste of those accustomed to the best in quality design, finishes and lifestyle. 
Best Office Development: Ecobank Ghana, Accra
Ecobank Ghana is much more than stand alone design, it forms part of its unique setting in every aspect. The spirit of Ghana is supported from the contextual facade to its upbeat interior. Taking into consideration the challenging weather patterns and long distances over which the project was managed, the project required a hands on approach from all consultants at all times.- Best Housing Development: Victoria Crest Homes, Lagos, Nigeria.
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Best Woman in Real Estate: Bronwyn Corbett, CEO, Grit Real Estate Income Group, Mauritius
Bronwyn Corbett leads the successful listing of the first Pan-African Real Estate Income Group and the first Mauritian-domiciled company to list on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange (the company was listed on July 31, 2018). Pioneers in the African market, Bronwyn Corbett is a trailblazer. Within 3 years, the portfolio has grown to circa US$600 million, across seven countries. The group is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Stock Exchange of Mauritius and the London Stock Exchange. Bronwyn Corbett is the CEO of Mara Delta Property Holdings. She has significant corporate finance and deal making experience and has played an instrumental role in the JSE listing of Delta Property Fund Limited in 2012 where she held the positions of CFO and COO prior to taking up the leadership role at Mara Delta. During her tenure at Delta Limited, Bronwyn spearheaded the diversification of the REIT’s funding sources into the debt capital markets, leading to the establishment of a US$140 million (ZAR2 billion) Domestic Medium Term Note Programme (DMTN) programme.
