Kenya’s Centum Feted Among Top Real Estate Investors

By Moses Adongo

Kenya’s Centum Real Estate last week emerged among the top winners in the latest property investment rankings during the 9th Africa Property Investment (API) Summit and Expo 2018 held in Johannesburg, South Africa from September 20 to 21.

Centum, the company behind the construction of East and Central Africa’s largest mall, Two Rivers, emerged the best mixed-use developer in the sector. The Sh1 billion worth mall has 150 international and local retail spaces as well as well as spaces for apartments and executive hotels.

The Property Investment Summit and Expo 2018, Africa’s most significant investment and development conference, was held to recognize and fete outstanding investments and achievements in the property industry across 11 categories. These categories included retail, hotel, alternative asset, architectural design, office, mixed-use, green building, high-end residential, logistics and best women in property.

It drew top industry players from countries like Zambia, Kenya, Namibia, Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, Mozambique and Mauritius with completed or yet to be developed projects that look to shape the real estate sector in Africa.

Among the threshold considered by the panelists before the awards included location, infrastructure, and transport access, originality of the concept, technical and architectural quality, integration into the environment, services offered, response to market demands, financial performance, sensitivity to the local community, innovation, sustainability, corporate staff involvement, and occupancy.

Below are the winners for each category:

Best Retail Development: Baia Mall, Maputo, Mozambique. Award winning team, Actis Africa LLP.
Best Housing Development: Victoria Crest Homes, Lagos, Nigeria. Award winning team, Nedcom Oaks Ltd.
Best Logistics/Industrial Development: ALP North Distribution Centre, Nairobi, Kenya. Award winning team, African Logistics Properties (ALP).
Best Woman In Real Estate: Bronwyn Corbett, CEO, Grit Real Estate Income Group.
Best Office Development: Ecobank Ghana, Accra. Award winning team, ARC Architects.
Best Architectural Design: Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda. Award winning team, Radisson Hotel Group
High-End Residential: Primevillas, Lusaka, Zambia. Award winning team: Umran Construction Limited
Best Mixed-use Development: Two Rivers Mall, Nairobi, Kenya. Award winning team, Centum Real Estate.
Best Green-Building Development: Strathmore University, Kenya. Award winning team, Questworks.
Best Hotel Development: Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali, Rwanda. Award winning team, Radisson Hotel Group.
Best Alternative Asset (Refurbished Asset): KBC, Kigali, Rwanda. Award winning team, Century Rwanda.