Real Estate

The real estate sector in South Africa is showing early signs of upward movement after more than three years of underperforming, though any improvement in sales and buyer interest is still thin and analysts are wary of predicting an end to the slump amidst uncertainty over the local and global economies.

Ghana’s growing population, buoyant economy and favourable investment environment make its real estate market increasingly dynamic. In spite of complicated issues over local lending and land ownership, demand for housing spans the entire spectrum of the population, from wealthy Ghanaians and a growing number of expatriates through a rising middle class to lower-income groups.

As increasing purchasing power and a sizeable housing deficit fuel demand for accommodation and retail facilities, Nigeria’s real estate sector is slowly emerging as a promising destination for capital returns on both affordable and high-end housing.

The real estate sector continues to draw attention from international investors in the region, which is welcome news as the kingdom looks to rebuild its property market following the global economic downturn of 2008.

Momentum generated by a strong recovery in Kuwait’s real estate sector in early 2012 is expected to continue throughout the year. In February 2012, the National Bank of Kuwait revealed that real estate sales in January totalled KD318.1m ($1.14bn), a 64% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase, which represents the third-best level on record.