Chronicle EditorLivingstone Marufu Property Reporter
In a vigorous attempt to service the diaspora market and spread the company’s investments, Homelink plans to build houses in six of the country’s 10 provinces.
This comes after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ’s) subsidiary moves to ensure that the company’s housing projects are spread across the country for more people to benefit. From the onset, more projects were concentrated in Harare but the company now needs to change its focus.
Homelink CEO, Mr Desmond Ali said: “Homelink is also at various stages of identifying land and concluding deals for land in Bulawayo, Manicaland, Harare, Midlands, Masvingo and Mashonaland East so that the investments can benefit all people around Zimbabwe.
“All along most of the people in Harare have benefited leaving other people in other provinces with no investment. Our model of projects is built around providing solutions to customers in an affordable, developmental and sustainable manner to cater for the various needs of our clients.
Mr Ali said models are being designed to produce houses affordable to the public servants, private sector employees, informal sector players and the Diaspora. Homelink’s projects assume a multi- dimensional benefit to the economy and society in general. Some of the stands and houses developed would be sold to the Diaspora. This would create a consistent stream for future foreign currency inflows for economic development.
Homelink’s thrust of constructing new housing units is in tandem with Government’s objectives of increasing the national housing stock as outlined in Zim-Asset. Mr Ali said there will be creation of employment in the construction and related supply industry for contract and permanent employees and increase in the country’s tax base, through company and individual taxes.
In all its projects Homelink is augmenting power supply through solar, sewer powered energy solutions to boost supplies by Zesa power. It has also planned to build over 3 000 housing units and other commercial buildings near Lake Chivero in a bid to provide decent and affordable houses for all Zimbabweans especially the Diaspora community.
Homelink has been a significant player in housing provision since 2004, when it established the Homelink Housing Development Scheme (HHDS). To date Homelink has provided houses for at least 1 500 families.
“Homelink has also concluded purchase of 243 hactares of land at Strathmore farm near Lake Chivero, where we are planning to construct about 3 000 housing units and other commercial buildings,” said Mr Ali.
In addition, they have acquired 300 stands in Bindura, and the stands will be offered to the market before the end of 2017.
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