ShafPress

Shelter Afrique the Pan-African finance institution exclusively supporting the development of the housing and real estate sector in Africa signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with CITIC Construction, one of the biggest multinational construction and engineering companies and IFC, the International Finance Company. The new partners envision funding large scale affordable housing projects in the sub-Saharan African region.

The agreement which is expected to boost Shelter Afrique quest in providing housing for all, was signed by the Managing Director of Shelter Afrique, Mr. Alassane Ba; Vice President of CITICC, Mr. Mingguang Xu and the Head of IFC in the East Africa Region, Mr. Manuel Moses.

The MOU’s objective is to create an efficient platform for the delivery of large-scale affordable housing projects across Sub Saharan Africa with the initial focus in markets like Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana where SHAF has an existing project pipeline.
Each company is expected to play a role in this partnership; CITICC will undertake to leverage resources to conduct feasibility studies, cost analysis and overall project planning as well as mobilize the necessary financing through its banking relationships. It also looks to act as the Engineering Procurement Construction contractor for each project, subject to consent of all parties.

IFC on its part will engage to provide or mobilize construction or mortgage financing on its own or through liaising with other financial institution and Shelter Afrique is expected to leverage its existing resources to source qualified projects and identify the local partners.
It will be recalled that Shelter Afrique had signed an MOU earlier in the year with Zamfara State. This brings the number of such agreements to two; showing Shelter Afrique’s strong commitment to building lasting partnerships.

The Managing Director, Mr. Alassane Ba expressed his pleasure and delight at the beginning of a strong partnership with CITIC and his hope that the agreement will add value to Shelter Afrique in achieving its objectives.
He also added that Shelter Afrique has a vision which it is close to realising and without strong partnerships like the one with CITICC Shelter Afrique will not be able to achieve its vision.

For his part, Mr. Xu Mingguang congratulated Shelter Afrique and expressed his pleasure and honour at signing the MOU and declared that it was an honour he was sharing with all members of the CITIC family; he also commended Shelter Afrique for doing an excellent job in the field of social housing.

When we call the market answers
Agency (Ecofin) – “The bond for an amount of 10 billion FCFA launched by Shelter Afrique on the financial market of Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) was oversubscribed by 163.62%, announced the CGF Bourse stock through a notice of closure.”

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ALTERNATE BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS –

Sustainable Solution to alleviating housing deficit in Africa hosted by Shelter Afrique and Ministry of Construction, Housing,Sanitation and Urban Development.

The presentations

International Green Solution
Moladi Constructions
Ministry of Construction
Strawtec Building Solutions

On Tuesday the 14th Shelter Afrique played host to the Government of Zamfara State, in Nigeria. The delegation was led by the Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari [pictured above] and senior members of the state government. The Governor was also accompanied by the Nigerian High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr. Akin Oyateru.

The delegation was welcomed by the Managing Director of SHAF, Mr. Alassane Ba and all members of the Senior Management Council.

The delegation had come to SHAF to find ways to collaborate on affordable housing projects in the state. The discussions between the two parties were centred on the dynamics of a Public-Private-Partnership [PPP]. The culmination of the discussions resulted in the signing of a MoU between the two parties to develop affordable housing in the state.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding Shelter Afrique will provide advisory services including the support for the selection of consultants, project design and financing plan. In addition, Shelter Afrique will facilitate the financing of the project.
Likewise, under the MoU the government of Zamfara State will be responsible for identification and allocation of land for the project and for developing the bulk infrastructure including access road, power and water, off taker finance.

Addressing the delegation the Managing Director of Shelter Afrique remarked on how timely the visit and the discussions were, as the regional office in Nigeria was just getting underway. He also mentioned the strategic importance of the Nigerian market and reaffirmed Shelter Afrique’s commitment to affordable housing on the continent.

In his remarks, the Governor of Zamfara, Abdul’Aziz Yari expressed his pleasure with the development and remarked on how his government was committed to providing affordable housing in his state and to improving the lives of his citizens.

On his part, the Nigerian Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Akin Oyateru remarked on his sense of fulfilment as the number of Nigerian Governors who have begun discussions with Shelter Afrique had increased. He commented on the strategic importance of Shelter Afrique and was hopeful that many more Nigerian Governors would open discussions with Shelter Afrique.

Shelter-Afrique, the Pan-African institution of housing finance and urban development, has obtained the permission of CREPMF (Regional Council for Public Savings and Financial Markets) November 4, 2013, to issue bonds with a total value of 10 billion FCFA. The bonds will be listed on the Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM), like the previous 4 emissions.

The funds raised through the issue will be used to finance housing projects in member countries of the Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Overall the issue will finance the construction of 152 housing units planned in Togo 115 units in Côte d’Ivoire, land plots of 1810 and the construction of 586 social housing units in Senegal, and the construction of 299 villas in Cote d’Ivoire. Moreover, it is expected that the resources mobilized from the bond issue will generate the helping hand as required for the development of affordable housing in the region. Alassane BA, Director of Shelter Afrique, said that “this authorization is in line with previous interventions Shelter Afrique on African financial markets as recurring issuer. Shelter-Afrique is always looking to raise funds from the capital markets to finance affordable housing. ”

In September 2013, Shelter Afrique issued bonds Kshs 5 billion ($ 58 million) through the Securities Exchange Nairobi to finance local currency loans for projects of housing in Kenya. The bond medium term Kshs 5 billion was oversubscribed to the tune of 43%, which demonstrates the considerable trust that the largest financial market in East Africa and local investors have shown in Pan institution housing finance and urban development. The business model of Shelter Afrique is largely based on the removal of funds in local currency on regional financial markets to finance affordable housing projects. Bonds in the amount of 5 billion Kshs ($ 58 million) are listed on the Stock Exchange of Nairobi and negotiations related thereto began on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

The Pan-African institution of housing finance and urban development, is now recognized as one of the most dynamic bond issuers on African and regional financial markets.Funds raised on the financial markets have been used to finance the growing demand and the huge untapped potential in the African real estate market, which has been severely handicapped by the lack of adequate funding at affordable prices.

Shelter-Afrique is a pan-African financing institution that is dedicated to helping the development of social housing across Africa. Interventions of the institution have a direct and positive impact on the lives of African people, meeting the needs of urban populations growing rapidly, and improving the living conditions of those companies.In addition, Shelter-Afrique is the vanguard institution for financing the promotion of social housing in the continent.She believes that building homes, it also develops families and nations. This is precisely its commitment to the African people.

Shelter-Afrique is supported by 44 member countries classified in Class A shareholders, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Reinsurance Corporation (AFRICA-RE) that are classified as shareholders of the class B. The institution works for 31 years and during this period it has mobilized more than U.S. $ 500 million and completed 300 housing projects in member countries. During this period, the cumulative value of loan approvals increased to 600 million U.S. $.

ECOBANK GROUP

1. From left, Mr. Peter Makau, Regional Account and Manager, EAC/ Country Corporate Bank Head, Ecobank Kenya
2. Second left, Deputy Group CEO – Mr. Albert Essien
3. Third left, incoming Ecobank Kenya MD & East Africa Cluster Head – Mr. Ehouman Kassi
4. Second Right, Outgoing Ecobank Kenya MD & East Africa Cluster Head – Mr. Tony Okpanachi

AGM Presentations Links;

1. Cote d’ivoire presentation-french
2. NHC Tanzania presentation-french
3.Chad presentation-french
4. Cote d’ivoire presentation-english
5. South africa presentation-english

11 January 2013, Nairobi: Shelter Afrique, the pan-African finance institution dedicated to financing affordable housing across the continent, has confirmed the first close of the Pan African Housing Fund (PAHF), at US$ 41.5 million in December 2012.

PAHF is the first private equity fund focused exclusively on housing development in Africa (outside of South Africa), providing equity and quasi equity finance to developers, and was specifically designed to respond to an ever growing housing shortage in Eastern and Southern Africa. The Fund is targeting a final close of US$ 100 million in 2013.

Launched in 2011, Shelter Afrique has outsourced PAHF’s management to Phatisa and worked closely with a pool of African and European development finance institutions (DFIs) during the fundraising stage.

Alassane Ba, Shelter Afrique’s Managing Director, commented on the first close: “Shelter Afrique is proud to have ended 2012 with the successful first closing of The Pan African Housing Fund. The PAHF will fill the risk capital gap, which is our scarcest financial resource, and we see this as a key strategic investment toward improving the supply of affordable housing in Africa.”

The Fund will invest in middle income and lower-middle income residential developments and mixed-use real estate projects, where both residential and commercial properties are combined.

It will be investing primarily in the major urban areas in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia, with a focus on mitigating environmental, social and governance risks. The PAHF will also work closely with developers to increase both their technical and scale capabilities.

 

 

 

Kenya-based urban development financier Shelter Afrique plans to invest $80 million in east Africa this year, looking past immediate concerns about inflation and high interest rates to long-term demand for housing from middle-income buyers.

Managing director Alassane Ba said on Friday his firm will sign a loan agreement worth $40 million with Tanzania’s state-run National Housing Corp in March to build homes in that country.

Shelter Afrique also plans to invest $10 million in low-cost housing in Rwanda and $30 million in equity stakes with property developers in Kenya, the region’s biggest economy.

The company is also searching for investment opportunities in Uganda, but had not allocated any specific amount for the land-locked coffee producing country.

“Inflation and high interest rates are short-term concerns, but we’re still looking for investment opportunities in the housing market in this region,” Ba told Reuters.

“These challenges are temporary. The housing market is just under a small adjustment and it’s the best time to invest.”

Year-on-year inflation rates in the east African nations of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda rose sharply last year to double-digits driven by high oil prices on the global market and weak local currencies.

An aggressive tightening of monetary policy in Kenya and Uganda have helped ease inflation in those two countries, but has left mortgage holders grappling with extremely high interest rates.

Commercial banks in Kenyan have raised lending rates to about 25 percent from 15 percent since October, prompting lawmakers to propose a new law to cap the rates.

In Uganda, traders closed their businesses in January in a three-day strike to force banks to stop raising rates which had soared to 29 percent from 19 percent in a few months.

Shelter Afrique, which raised 2.5 billion shillings through a medium-term loan in August, said it intends to lend the funds to developers at a base rate of 13 percent, nearly half what commercial banks are offering at the moment.

“The target market for the funds will be the middle income segment where demand for housing is insatiable,” Ba said.

The regional lender, which is jointly owned by 42 African governments, the African Development Bank and African Re-Insurance Corporation, raises most of its hard currencies from the international capital market.

It has extended about $124 million in credit to private developers in Kenya’s real estate market since inception in 1995 and is in negotiations that could see the Chinese government buy a stake in the company.

“With the (economic) slowdown we are witnessing in the rest of the world, all money is coming to Africa. It’s the best time for Africa,” Ba said.

After Ghana adhesion to Shelter Afrique as its 43rd member country and a Class “A” Shareholder during the 30th Annual General Meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, Shelter Afrique organized a 5-day mission to Ghana.

The mission’s objective was two-fold; business development and signing a Loan Agreement between Ghana Home Loans and Shelter Afrique.

As part of the business development, Shelter-Afrique’s delegation met with the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Professor John Evans Atta Mills to whom the Managing Director of Shelter-Afrique Mr. Alassane BÂ briefed on the institution’s investment plans and different aspect of partnership to accelerate the ongoing efforts to address housing need in Ghana .

Shelter Afrique also used this opportunity to host a dinner for the developers and other stakeholders involved in the housing sector.

On the other part, the US$ 5 million Line of Credit signed Agreement between Shelter Afrique and Ghana Home Loans makes the mortgage institution the first Ghanaian entity to benefit from Shelter-Afrique facilities.

The loan is to go towards support to delivery of affordable housing in the country.