1) Who and what are we?

Shelter Afrique is a Pan-African housing finance institution, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, owned by 44 African member governments (Class A shareholders)
The African Development Bank, Africa-Reinsurance and Fonds de solidarité Africain.(Class B shareholders)

2) Is Shelter Afrique an NGO?

No, we are a profit-making finance company, wholly owned by our shareholders.

3) Does Shelter Afrique have branch offices in member countries?

To date, we have a central office in Nairobi, Kenya, and two regional offices in Abuja Nigeria, and Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

4) Is Shelter Afrique a construction company?

No, we are a development finance institution, dedicated to mobilize and provide financing and advisory solutions for housing and related infrastructure. We do not build houses or engage directly in real estate construction.

5) Can I get a mortgage from Shelter Afrique?

No, Shelter Afrique is not a retail bank and therefore does not lend directly to individuals, but rather to financial institutions/intermediaries that will then on-lend to individuals and/or developers.

6) Who can apply for Shelter Afrique financing?

The following categories are eligible for Shelter Afrique funding:

– Private corporate entities duly registered in their respective jurisdiction Financial Institutions

– National Housing Authorities or relevant government agencies

– Organized Co-operative Societies

7) Are there criteria my project must meet to be eligible for financing?

Yes, to be eligible for Shelter Afrique funding your project must include the following:

– Be technically sound

– Have good prospects of being profitable

– Benefit the local housing/real estate sector

– Be environmentally and socially sound, satisfying Shelter Afrique’s environmental and social standards as well as those of the host country

8) Is my country eligible to receive Shelter Afrique financing?

To receive Shelter Afrique funding, ideally your project must benefit a member state. However, we do also consider projects in non-member states on a case-by-case basis.

9) What types of financing does Shelter Afrique provide?

Shelter Afrique provides clients with loans, loan participations under syndication schemes, equity and trade finance. We can offer financing in various currencies, including Kenya Shillings, CFA Francs, Rand, US Dollars and Euro.

10) How much will Shelter Afrique lend?

– Shelter Afrique will finance:Up to 60% of a project construction cost;

– Up to 50% of its equity, to any financial institution;

– With an exposure to any borrower not exceeding 15% of its own shareholders’ funds

– Investments typically ranging from USD2 million to USD10 million.

11) What interest rate does Shelter Afrique charge?

We offer competitive lending rates on a fixed or floating basis. Our applicable interest rates will typically vary according to our cost of funds per currency and the risk profile of the transaction and the borrower.

12) What is Shelter-Afrique’s financing tenure?

As a general guide, the following lending tenures are available:

– Short term loans (1-2 years)

– Medium term loans (2-5 years)

– Long term facilities (5-10 years)

– Special loans (10 – 12 years)

– Long term and special facilities are only available to sound financial and housing finance institutions or seasoned real estate companies that have an established and consistent profitability track record of no less than three years.

13) Is there a grace period?

Yes, we can offer a grace period of up to three years for project preparation and implementation depending on the nature and merits of the project. Interest on disbursed funds is however payable during the grace period.

14) How do I apply for funding?

If you’d like to apply for funding from Shelter Afrique, please sendyour application and supporting documents to:

Director of Business Development & Operations Shelter Afrique Centre,
Longonot Road, Upper Hill,
P.O. Box 41479 (00100),
Nairobi (KENYA)
E-mail: info@shelterafrique.org

Our direct equity investments in financial institutions serve as a catalyst for the development of the mortgage market in Africa through the provision of long-term financing.

Our joint venture investments with real estate developers enable the development of affordable and large-scale residential projects. In addition, we also support private equity funds dedicated to investing in the real estate sector in Africa.

Interested in Equity and Joint Venture Investments? Take the next step.

To apply for financing from Shelter Afrique, please submit a formal written application letter stating your requirements. Applications will be processed on the basis of the following: a comprehensive business plan (including financial projections) drawn up by or on behalf of your company; detailed technical information such as site layouts and architectural plans; well defined off-take arrangements or a clear-cut marketing plan; audited financial statements for the past three years (or since inception if shorter); current year latest management accounts; plus, detailed profiles of senior management. To be eligible, your company must hold a valid title to the project land, free of any encumbrances, and should demonstrate strong corporate governance. If you would like to find out more about our Equity and Joint Venture Investments, or to submit a proposal with supporting documents.

If you would like to find out more reach us through here.

Large Scale housing projects are at the very centre of our new strategy, it is our anchor product. This decision was arrived after careful consideration of the affordable housing landscape. We believe large-scale housing development are a positive and mass impact making avenue and we are committed to promoting them and achieving them through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

Given our experience, we are aware of challenges at the Pre-development stage and the execution stage, which is why we established a dedicated Project Implementation Team. This product seeks to address, in a more deliberate and strategic manner, the affordable housing supply constraint evident across the markets that Shelter Afrique operates. The magnitude of the housing deficit across the continent may not be closed using small ticket projects.

Delivering at large scale brings brings forth economies of scale that eventually translate to affordability.

We help developers and financial institutions involved in the construction sector with the procurement cycle of building materials and equipment.

Urban housing and infrastructure development are at the highest priority of most African Countries. War and destruction as well as poor enabling policies have led to insufficient and low levels of investment in housing per-capita. Compensatory investment lagging behind demand is demonstrated by the high demand for housing and implied construction materials have resulted in growth rates as high as 350% + p.a. in some countries.

We want to address the gap by developing Trade Finance Facilities which create a strategic window for the Institution to control the quality and the use of the facilities which are allocated to the importation of construction materials.

Lines of Credit to Financial Institutions Demand for housing remains highest for individuals living at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) across Shelter Afrique member countries. However, these individuals are always exclude from home ownership particularly through the formal mortgage market due to the associated perceived credit risks.

Financing options for this income group remains scarce and largely informal. In the absence of accessible financing options, most lower income families end up building incrementally based on their needs and available resources.

This progressive building process may be carried out over several years and may entail acquiring land, building an initial structure and following with a series of expansions and improvements. We intend to make this more feasible through our Housing Micro-Finance Product.

The product is designed for beneficiaries who want to use the funds accessed for housing provision. The housing microfinance loans represent relatively small sums, borrowed for a much shorter term than a mortgage to match both the income streams of low-income clients and the construction costs of their incremental building steps.

Interested in Housing Microfinance? Take the next step.

To apply for financing from Shelter Afrique, please submit a formal written application letter stating your requirements. Applications will be processed on the basis of the following: a comprehensive business plan (including financial projections) drawn up by or on behalf of your company; detailed technical information such as site layouts and architectural plans; well defined off-take arrangements or a clear-cut marketing plan; audited financial statements for the past three years (or since inception if shorter); current year latest management accounts; plus, detailed profiles of senior management. To be eligible, your company must hold a valid title to the project land, free of any encumbrances, and should demonstrate strong corporate governance.

If you would like to find out more reach us through here.

Lines of Credit to Financial Institutions Demand for housing remains highest for individuals living at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) across Shelter Afrique member countries. However, these individuals are always exclude from home ownership particularly through the formal mortgage market due to the associated perceived credit risks.

Financing options for this income group remains scarce and largely informal. In the absence of accessible financing options, most lower income families end up building incrementally based on their needs and available resources.

This progressive building process may be carried out over several years and may entail acquiring land, building an initial structure and following with a series of expansions and improvements. We intend to make this more feasible through our Housing Micro-Finance Product.

The product is designed for beneficiaries who want to use the funds accessed for housing provision. The housing microfinance loans represent relatively small sums, borrowed for a much shorter term than a mortgage to match both the income streams of low-income clients and the construction costs of their incremental building steps.

Interested in Housing Microfinance? Take the next step.

To apply for financing from Shelter Afrique, please submit a formal written application letter stating your requirements. Applications will be processed on the basis of the following: a comprehensive business plan (including financial projections) drawn up by or on behalf of your company; detailed technical information such as site layouts and architectural plans; well defined off-take arrangements or a clear-cut marketing plan; audited financial statements for the past three years (or since inception if shorter); current year latest management accounts; plus, detailed profiles of senior management. To be eligible, your company must hold a valid title to the project land, free of any encumbrances, and should demonstrate strong corporate governance.

If you would like to find out more reach us through here.