By Chilupe Ntwanga
Booming Population
Over the last fifty years urbanisation has increased from 34% globally to 54% and, based on projections made by UNDESA, the urbanisation rate is expected to reach 66% by 2050. This is will inevitably lead to increased congestion in major cities and towns across the world.
With an average growth rate of 2.7% per year, Africa is set to double its current population of 1.3 billion people by 2050. That would mean a population of 2.5 billion people in just 30 years. By 2035, Lusaka – with a population of 3.2 million people in 2019 – will have a population of approximately 4.6 million people.
This might not sound like too much of a surprise, but when you consider that the population of Lusaka was just 162,000 people in 1969 it becomes clear that Lusaka is a city that was built with far less people in mind. What’s even clearer is the fact that soon, Lusaka will be overpopulated. A housing crisis is looming, but there is hope.
Is Lusaka The Limit?
The city of Lusaka was founded in 1913 by the British government as a station outpost for colonial administrators and farmers. Due to its central location, Lusaka is connected to all major parts of the country via road, rail and air links. Great East Road, for example, provides access to fringe areas such as Chongwe towards the east while Leopards Hill Road provides easy access to the ever-growing communities of State Lodge, Chifwema and Palabana south-east of the city of Lusaka.
As Lusaka’s city limits continue expanding, real estate closer to the CBD becomes increasingly expensive due to the demand spurred on by the rapidly growing population. Those seeking peace and quiet, wide open spaces and more affordable properties are being forced to look to the cities outskirts. With extremely competitive property prices, The Hills offers an excellent value proposition for those looking to climb onto the property ladder as well as those looking to grow their current portfolio.
A Safe Investment
Between November 2020 and November 2021, the Zambia police reported a 3% increase in criminal cases countywide. This may be due to rising socio-economic inequalities such as a high rate of youth unemployment and is likely to increase over the next few years due to a continuous increase in urbanisation. Safety and security are two areas that are of paramount importance to us at The Hills. Homeowners will be at ease with the knowledge that their property will be safe and secure throughout their ownership.
At the core of our values is the desire to preserve the natural environment in cooperation with our residents in order to build a safe, self-sustaining and eco-friendly estate. This engenders a strong sense of community that many neighbourhoods lack. The Hills will continuously work towards becoming an entirely “green community” and as such will make use of renewable energy from the onset as well as encourage the Homeowners to adopt green energy practices in order to develop the estate sustainably while we cohesively find more ways protect the environment further.
A Fresh Take on Community
Living in The Hills will provide you with a sense of prestige, community and convenience. Our array of natural features such as lakes, parks, hiking and cycling trails, health facilities and green areas help promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Through a set of clear and detailed guidelines, residents of The Hills are given the freedom to express themselves through creative architectural designs. The guidelines also ensure that all residents maintain high living standards at all times whilst adding value and prestige to the overall estate.
Central to communal and social living at The Hills will be a country club designed to compliment the surrounding area as well as contribute to its natural beauty. A centrally located high street featuring restaurants, bars, retail and convenience shops will be developed to ensure that residents of The Hills can indeed “live, work and play” within the confines of the estate whilst still being a stone’s throw away from the centre of Lusaka as well as other shopping malls and centres such as Leopard’s Hill Mall, Pinnacle Mall and Centro Mall to name a few.
With a limited number of properties for lease and sale within The Hills, there has never been a better opportunity to invest in a property asset that has extremely high growth potential.
For more information on The Hills, visit our website: www.thehillslusaka.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
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