HOUSING CAN UNLOCK JOBS, INVESTMENT
Affordable finance, local manufacturing and private capital seen as key to expanding homeownership and driving Zambia’s economic growth
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — 14-10-2026 — Zambia can use housing as an engine of economic development, but the benefits must reach ordinary citizens, not only property developers and people who can already afford expensive homes.
Mulele said Zambia needed practical solutions to help low-income households access housing finance while creating opportunities for local businesses, workers and investors.
He said housing development could stimulate local manufacturing, create jobs, support planned urbanisation and help households build wealth. Increased construction, he explained, could create demand for locally produced cement, bricks, roofing materials, doors and other building supplies.
Mulele said affordable housing finance, local manufacturing and private investment were critical to expanding homeownership, creating jobs and driving economic growth.
He said incremental housing loans could help families build or improve their homes in stages according to their financial capacity, instead of raising the full cost of a house before construction begins.
Mulele said mobilising domestic capital through mechanisms such as housing bonds and encouraging private sector participation could provide additional funding for housing projects.
He explained that housing bonds could help raise money from investors to finance housing developments, broadening funding sources beyond conventional bank lending and government resources.
Mulele said serviced land and appropriate construction technologies were also essential to reducing housing costs and making projects more viable. He said access to roads, water and sanitation could reduce the challenges developers face when preparing land for construction.
He added that macroeconomic stability and a predictable economic environment would help attract investment into housing and related industries.
Mulele said the conference offered an opportunity to explore financing models and partnerships that could expand housing delivery while supporting the objectives of the Grow Zambia agenda.
He said hosting the continental gathering could also benefit local businesses through spending by delegates on accommodation, transport, restaurants and other services.
Malama said housing projects had to be accompanied by essential infrastructure, including roads, water and sanitation, to ensure residents could live in properly serviced settlements.
He said Zambia needed to move beyond fragmented interventions and bring together government institutions, financial institutions, developers and other stakeholders to improve housing delivery.
Malama proposed three measures to strengthen coordination and accelerate housing development.
He said the first was to establish a national task force or committee to coordinate the housing agenda and bring relevant stakeholders together.
Malama said the second was to develop a viable national housing strategy supported by a pipeline of projects capable of attracting investment and guiding implementation.
He explained that a project pipeline would identify proposed housing developments at different stages of preparation and help investors determine which projects were ready for financing.
Malama said the third measure was to establish a housing finance framework that addressed both the demand for and supply of housing.
He said the demand side required financing arrangements that reflected household incomes and their ability to repay loans, while the supply side needed affordable land, financing, infrastructure and construction methods that would enable developers to build houses at prices ordinary citizens could afford.
Malama said coordinating government policy, financing, infrastructure and private sector participation would help move housing projects from planning to implementation.
He added that the AUHF conference offered Zambia an opportunity to learn from other countries, develop partnerships and attract investment into the housing sector.
Malama said hosting the gathering could also support tourism and business activity as delegates interacted with local service providers.
Kapeya said more than 188 delegates had registered for the conference, with about 90 per cent expected to be first-time visitors to Zambia.
He said participants would exchange ideas on housing finance, construction technologies, digital financial services and partnerships that could expand access to housing.
Kapeya said innovation was necessary to address housing challenges, particularly for people who could not afford conventional housing products.
He said ZNBS was committed to developing inclusive housing finance products that responded to the needs of different customers, including those requiring flexible options to buy or improve their homes.
Kapeya said the conference would also allow Zambia to showcase its investment potential and strengthen its position as a destination for business engagements.
He said the expected arrival of delegates could generate business for accommodation providers, transport operators, restaurants and other service providers.
Farai Shumba of Habitat for Humanity said affordable housing finance was essential to helping low-income households, particularly those in informal settlements, improve their homes.
“Affordable housing finance is critical to helping low-income households invest incrementally in their homes,” Shumba said.
He said the organisation worked largely in Zambia's informal settlements and was seeking ways to make housing finance accessible to households often underserved by conventional lenders.
Shumba said flexible financing arrangements could allow families to improve their homes gradually instead of having to meet the full cost of construction at once.
He said Habitat for Humanity was drawing on its experiences in Kenya and Tanzania to strengthen its housing interventions in Zambia.
Shumba said the organisation had co-created the Timang housing loan product to support incremental housing investment, including among women participating in savings groups.
He said lessons from other countries could help improve financing arrangements and enable low-income households to invest in their homes over time.
Panorama general manager Mwaka Mwape said the company was interested in replicating the housing development model demonstrated at Emerald Hill.
Mwape said Panorama wanted to contribute to housing delivery through similar developments that could increase the supply of homes.
He said the company saw potential in development models that could be replicated elsewhere, although their success would depend on factors such as land availability, infrastructure, construction costs and the purchasing power of prospective homeowners.
Munthali said Zambia's geographical position, stability and security were important in attracting visitors and supporting the country's tourism ambitions.
“We are a land-linked country, situated among eight neighbouring countries, and our positioning gives us an opportunity to serve as a hub for travel and business,” she said.
Munthali said Zambia had four international airports and facilities capable of hosting meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, with venues able to accommodate gatherings of up to 5,000 people.
She said the country's tourism attractions included the northern tourism circuit, with its white sandy beaches, more than 21 waterfalls and other natural attractions.
Munthali also highlighted Kafue National Park and said promoting domestic tourism alongside international visits was important to growing the sector.
She said Zambia's tourism attractions and conference facilities could help attract business travellers and support conference tourism.
Munthali said hosting the AUHF conference presented an opportunity to introduce visitors to the country's tourism products and investment opportunities.
She added that conferences could generate business for hotels, transport operators, restaurants and other service providers.
The discussions highlighted the importance of housing policies and financing arrangements that reflect the financial circumstances of ordinary households while creating opportunities for developers, financial institutions and local businesses.
For ordinary Zambians, the key question is whether the proposed financing solutions and investment will translate into homes they can afford, rather than developments that remain beyond the reach of low- and middle-income families.
The challenge, according to the issues raised by the stakeholders, is to turn investment interest and conference discussions into affordable homes, jobs and better living conditions for citizens.
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