The city of kigali has been selected among cities on the continent that will showcase their investment opportunities at the African Real Estate Summit in Cape Town from November 2-3. 

Nyarugenge will be showcased as the ‘green financial hub and vibrant growth centre’ of Kigali, while Gasabo District will be presented as a ‘diverse employment hub and cultural heartland of the city’, and Kicukiro will be showcased as a ‘knowledge hub and green gateway of Kigali, a statement from the organisers indicates.

The Rwandan capital’s vision is to become the ‘centre of urban excellence in Africa’.

Lusaka and Dar es Salaam are other cities chosen to showcase investment opportunities at the two-day summit.

The real estate summit aims at supporting African cities and governments to secure new international investments to boost commercial real estate and infrastructure projects that will contribute to Urban Development Plans (UPDs).

"We believe that Africa is a continent of opportunity. With improving economies, rising populations, rapid rates of urbanisation and burgeoning middle-classes, some African cities are expected to grow between 70-100 per cent in the next 15 years,” Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, the secretary general of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG), said.

UCLG AFRICA represents nearly 350 million African citizens.

Mbassi said African cities and local governments should take advantage of the African Real Estate Summit to highlight the need for quality commercial and residential real estate "that this growth creates”.

The body is the umbrella organisation of local governments in Africa, with membership of 40 national associations of local governments from all regions of Africa, as well as the 2,000 cities that have over 100,000 inhabitants each.

Mbassi said the summit will bring together the continent’s real estate sector. This, he added, will enable them generate the requisite partnerships and investments from investor groups, developers and operators to deliver on this worthwhile opportunity.

It will provide an invaluable opportunity for investors, developers, landowners and the cities themselves to conduct business, sign contracts, and develop the future cities of Africa.

Besides sessions showcasing urban development planning, the conference will present case studies, and give practical guidance on how to do business in new markets.

The summit will also attract key city officials, including city managers, mayors, city council members, town planners, town clerks, district officials and city and finance directors. It is being organised by Spintelligent, a Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser.

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