By Abdi Ali
Published June 2, 2017
An awards scheme that recognises innovation and outstanding achievement in Africa’s real estate development shall be launched in August 2017.
The initiative, known as African Property Investment Awards (API Awards), will be launched on August 24, 2017 during the African Property Investment Summit & Expo 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The organisers of API say the API awards “will recognise innovation and outstanding achievement across the entire property industry while providing distinguished developers, suppliers and owners working in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) with a platform to showcase their best projects and services.”
RELATED:Africa Cannot Develop Without Adequate and Affordable Energy
Projects shall be recognised and awarded in the following seven categories:
- Best Retail Development
- Best Mixed-Use Development
- Best Commercial High-rise Development
- Best Architectural Design
- Best Green Building in sub-Saharan Africa
- Best Hotel Development, and
- Best Housing Development.
The judging panel–that comprises Trevor Ward (owner of the W Hospitality Group, Nigeria); Gerhard Zeelie (Head Real Estate Finance: Rest of Africa at Standard Bank, South Africa); Joao Terlica (Managing Director at Sagaci Research, Nigeria); David Kinyua (Director at Esham Park Group, Kenya); Elizabeth Wangeci Chege (Chief Executive Officer at WEB Limited & Chairperson of the Kenya Green Building Society, Kenya); Godfrey Tapela (Director at IFC, Kenya); Wafula Nabutola (Regional Director of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in Sub-Saharan Africa, RICS, Kenya); Jenny Luesby (Managing Director of African Laughter, Kenya); Kaisi Kalambo (President for the Architects Association of Tanzania, Tanzania); and Malcolm Horne (Group CEO of The Broll Property Group, South Africa)–is expected to critically assess all entries in these seven categories, basing their final decision on a wide range of criteria with specific focus on project 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.
RELATED:Sub-Saharan Africa Declared the ‘Go To’ Area for Hotel Investors
“There hasn’t been a greater opportunity in Africa to transform the construction industry than now. Sharing of information and best practice across the continent is prevalent therefore, the API Awards will provide a platform to honour projects that seek to lead on development standards. Ultimately, what we build today will form the Africa of tomorrow,” says Elizabeth Wangeci Chege.
API, an independent organisation that has held events over the past eight years, says “Growth in Africa’s real estate sector has highlighted the important role both local and regional investors and developers play in the industry.”
RELATED:Who Shall Lead the Revolution in Africa’s Air Transport?
The organisers of API Events say they hope the API Awards will both encourage industry players to continue to achieve these same levels in regard to both industry standards and expectations and to raise the development standards across the industry in future.
“As the market evolves,” says Kfir Rusin, API Events Managing Director, “we want to ensure that all stakeholders strive to achieve excellence, and at the same time recognise those who are delivering on pioneering developments in Africa’s often tough development environments.”
On his part, Trevor Ward, observes, “As the continent’s pre-eminent property investment summit, it is fitting that API Summit & Expo should recognise excellence by giving awards to the best of the best. The prestige of an API Award will undoubtedly bring an increase in quality in all fields in the property industry in Africa.”
Entries for the API Awards close on July 15, 2017.