• As Landmark Africa gets $24m housing loan
Pan-African housing development financier, Shelter Afrique has approved $13 million line of credit to Lagos-based real estate firm, Mixta Real Estate PLC.
The five-year facility with a moratorium of 24 months has been structured to fund the group’s current real estate projects in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Morocco.
The $13 million loan will co-finance the construction of 356 housing units in Côte d’Ivoire, 162 units in Senegal, and 371 units in Morocco, with selling prices varying from $26,000 in Morocco, $45,000 in Ivory Coast, and between $36,000 and $52,000 in Senegal.
Speaking in Nairobi at a signing ceremony, Shelter Afrique Ag. Managing Director, Kingsley Muwowo, lauded the strong and long term relationship between the two institutions, adding that, “In Mixta Africa, Shelter Afrique has a reliable partner that shares a common goal of developing affordable housing across Africa.”
“We have therefore structured both the Naira and Dollar denominated credit facilities to support their real estate projects. The Naira loans, which is supported by the First series of the ₦500 billion bond, which raised ₦46 billion, will support Mixta Africa’s projects in Nigeria to guards against forex risks. The Dollar ticket, which is from our own capital resources, will support Mixta’s projects in Morocco, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire,” Mr. Muwowo said.
Lauding the long-term partnership between Mixta Africa and Shelter Afrique, Mixta Africa Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Benson Ajayi commended Shelter Afrique for expanding financing option for the real estate sector, adding the strategy deployed by Shelter Afrique to raise fund for housing projects from regional local currency bonds was laudable.
“We have been looking for such kind of strategy from DFI’s who purport to support us. That Shelter Afrique has been able to do this is really big for us and is what makes this transaction important and successful for us.
“If shelter Afrique came to us with a dollar proposition, we would have said no, as our past dollars transaction had its own share of forex challenges. We are, however, confident that the dollar-denominated facility being extended to us by shelter Afrique to finance projects in Morocco, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire will not suffer much forex shocks,” Mr. Ajayi said.
Muwowo disclosed that out of the $110 million (₦46 billion) realised from the Naira denominated bond debut in April, more than $50 million had already been disbursed to finance projects in Nigeria.
“Two months ago, we approved $19.5 million (₦N8 billion) loan to Mixta Africa to support its affordable housing projects in Nigeria. Last week, we also approved $24.03 million (₦N10 billion) commercial loan to Landmark Africa to partly finance the construction of mixed-use housing project, Landmark Waterview Apartments and also help the company refinance existing debt. We expect a healthy project pipeline in Nigeria as demand continue to grow,” Muwowo said.
Mixta Africa is a Pan-African real estate development company headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It was established in 2005 and since then, has successfully executed many impactful projects. The company is currently present in 8 countries across Africa with full operations in Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, and Tunisia, but with projects in Algeria, Egypt, and Mauritania.
MEANWHILE, Shelter Afrique has also approved a $24.03 million (₦N10 billion) commercial loan to Lagos-based Tier 1 real estate and property development firm, Landmark Africa.
The seven-year line of credit with a moratorium of 36 months has been structured to partly finance the construction of mixed-use housing project, Landmark Waterview Apartments and refinance its existing debt.
“We are excited to record this significant milestone as the first project we are partnering with Landmark Africa. This is truly a high-point for Shelter Afrique and we are happy that the deal is adding to the long and successful history the Company has had with Nigeria,” Muwowo said.
“We remain committed to financing real estate projects that promote innovation and affordability, and we look forward to a long-term relationship with Landmark Africa,” he added.
Commenting on the deal, Landmark Africa Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Paul Onwuanibe said, “the Landmark Africa vision is to create one stop destinations which embody the business, leisure and lifestyle philosophy.
“Such innovative undertakings in the real estate sector require a formidable financial partnership and we are pleased to have found such a partner in Shelter Afrique.
“We are equally pleased to receive this long-term funding, which will help accelerate the delivery of the Landmark Waterview Apartments project thus enhancing the residential play within our mixed-use ecosystem, while having a multiplier effect on the existing business, leisure and lifestyle service offerings. It will also help align our capital structure to our long-term strategic goals” Onwuanibe added.
Nigeria remains one of the key markets for Shelter Afrique. In addition to the Landmark Africa deal, the Company has so far extended lines of credit to another Lagos-based real estate firm Mixta Africa ($19.5 million) and Wema Bank ($10 million) last year alone.
