African real estate leaders have called for stronger institutions, improved corporate governance and innovative financing structures to bridge the continent’s housing investment gap, warning that substantial housing demand alone cannot guarantee sustainable investment.
The call was made at the fourth GIDI Intra-Africa Real Estate Conference (IARC 4.0), held recently in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, under the theme, Building Africa: Bridging the Funding Gap in African Real Estate.
The industry stakeholders said unlocking capital for housing development requires more than matching investors with developers, stressing the importance of credible financial information, predictable policies, professional valuation and investment-ready businesses.
The discussions come as African real estate markets continue to grapple with funding constraints, affordability challenges and limited access to mortgage finance, despite growing demand for housing across the continent.
Tobi Akerele, chief executive officer of The GIDI Company Limited, argued that real estate professionals must expand their role beyond property sales to become active participants in capital mobilisation.
In his presentation, From Sales to Capital: The Realtors’ Role in Bridging Africa’s Funding Gap, Akerele said realtors could help aggregate verified housing demand, connect developers with financeable buyers and strengthen relationships between property companies, financial institutions and investors.
He also emphasised due diligence, financial transparency and responsible customer engagement as necessary practices for building investor confidence.
Ayorinde Ejioye, chief operating officer of GIDI, said African real estate companies must strengthen their internal systems to attract long-term investment.
His presentation identified corporate governance, auditable financial records, risk management, technology adoption and specialised professional capacity as critical components of investment readiness.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of policy credibility and inclusive housing development in attracting capital.
Nero Ughwujabo, managing director of Pinecone Strategy Limited, said governments and developers must translate policy objectives into credible investment opportunities supported by predictable institutions, clear risk allocation and appropriate project structures.
He also highlighted affordable housing, community participation and cross-border partnerships as important elements in developing commercially viable projects with social impact.
On valuation, Tarek Madany, managing director of Global Appraisal Tech and adjunct professor at the American University in Cairo, said credible property valuation and transparent market information were essential to improving investment decisions.
He argued that distinguishing actual investment risks from perceived or incorrectly priced risks could strengthen financing assessments and improve investor confidence.
The second panel, Building Stronger Housing Finance Markets, examined mortgage-market development, affordability and alternative financing arrangements required to expand homeownership across African markets.
Joy Coker, chief executive officer of AXP Africa, highlighted the potential of institutional investment, private credit, housing funds and blended finance to diversify funding sources for real estate development.
She also stressed the need for safeguards capable of protecting investors and ensuring sustainable financing.
Egypt’s Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund provided an institutional perspective on financing affordable housing and expanding homeownership, particularly among lower- and middle-income households.
Hala Ghazi El-Helaly, deputy chief executive officer of the fund, represented its chief executive, May Abdel Hamid, at the conference.
The programme also featured a financing workshop organised in collaboration with the American University in Cairo’s Onsi Sawiris School of Business Executive Education.
Facilitated by Madany, the workshop examined development cash flows, financing structures and investment decisions using a residential development case study.
It demonstrated how a project could be profitable yet encounter financing shortfalls during construction, highlighting the importance of cash-flow management and appropriate funding structures.
The conference subsequently introduced the Africa Real Estate Deal Room, a platform for presenting real estate investment opportunities to prospective investors and strategic partners.
For GIDI, the conference reinforces its ambition to deepen engagement across African real estate markets through investment discussions, professional development and opportunities to connect capital with housing development.
The central message from the gathering was that bridging Africa’s housing funding gap will require coordinated efforts by governments, developers, financial institutions and real estate professionals to build investment-ready enterprises and financing systems capable of translating housing demand into sustainable development.
Wasiu Alli is a business, economics cum data journalist with strong expertise covering macro trends, capital markets, government policies, corporate earnings and comparative economics analysis. Alli turns raw data into trends that not only tells compelling stories but nudges investors to make valued and informed decisions. He’s an alumnus of Lagos State University and trained at Lagos Business School. He formerly heads the Companies and Markets desk at BusinessDay where he writes and supervises the production of well researched articles on earnings updates, corporate sectoral comparisons, market intelligence as well as interviews with C-suite executives.
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