BUUMBA CHIMBULU
THE demand for student hostels and warehousing facilities has surged in recent years, positioning these two subsectors as key growth drivers in the country’s real estate market, according to Stanbic Bank Zambia.
Stanbic Bank Head of Investment Banking Mwila Pascal Mwenya, identified student accommodation and warehouses as the two property types experiencing the highest demand in the sector.
Mr Mwenya underscored Zambia’s strategic geographic location as a land-linked country as a catalyst for growing warehousing needs.
He was speaking during a panel discussion at the 2025 ZamReal Property Forum, themed “The Institutional Investor’s View on Zambia’s Real Estate Sector: A Deep Dive with Industry Leaders with the Capital to Move the Sector Forward.”
“Warehousing is a big opportunity because Zambia is land-linked, serving as a trade route for several neighbouring countries,” Mr Mwenya noted.
He also pointed out the increasing appetite for purpose-built student accommodation, driven by growing enrolment in tertiary institutions and the need for secure, well-managed housing options.
“A lot of parents would rather pay for student accommodation with proper security and facilities than settle for makeshift boarding houses. We are witnessing a steady shift towards formal student housing solutions – what remains is the development of sustainable financial models to support these projects,” he said.
Mr Mwenya added that Stanbic Bank’s property investment portfolio had expanded significantly in response to the market’s evolving needs.
“Our property portfolio has grown aggressively because we are engaging with developers who have done their homework — hiring professional advisors, conducting feasibility studies, and presenting well-conceived projects. This makes it easier for us to support them financially,” he explained.
Also speaking at the forum, Kwacha Pension Fund Trust Investments Analyst, Chibamba Nyangu, highlighted the country’s demographic trends as a major factor driving real estate demand.
“Zambia’s population growth rate is about 0.5 percent higher than Africa’s average and three times the global average. This translates into significant opportunities, particularly in student housing, as the number of young people pursuing tertiary education continues to rise,” Mr Nyangu said.
Meanwhile, Ms Butete Kaliye, Head of Real Estate at the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), noted the untapped potential for real estate investment across the country.
“We recently attended the Kuomboka Ceremony in Western Province, and to our surprise, there isn’t a single hotel in the area. This highlights the need for real estate development to reach all corners of the country. With the creation of new provincial centres, we are also seeing a shortage of quality housing in some districts – these are low-hanging fruits for investors,” Ms Kaliye remarked.
She advocated for the adoption of green building strategies to unlock development opportunities in underserved areas.
