Helping shape Africa’s future: RICS Africa Conference 2025

Attracting more than 150 executives and professionals in the built environment sector from across Africa, this year’s annual Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Africa Conference was held on 18 June in Johannesburg, in collaboration with the Women’s Property Network (WPN).

Now in its seventh year – and the second post-pandemic edition – the Africa Conference is entrenched as a leading thought leadership forum in Africa, bringing together business and thought leaders, policy makers and other key influencers to discuss pertinent issues and opportunities around the dynamic trends that shape the continent’s economic, urban and investment landscape. This full-day event offered a deep dive into critical topics, including the latest economic and political trends, the challenges of rapid urbanisation, advancements in property valuation, and the future of financing and investment in Africa.

Collaborative support

“Challenges in Urbanisation” was the theme for the conference, which had a powerful line-up of 17 speakers from Africa and Europe, in person and virtually. Embracing the RICS Summit Africa ethos of collaboration, the gathering received strong support from leading real estate businesses and industry associations in Africa, key sponsors, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Fortress Real Estate Investments and the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Through engaging keynote sessions, panel discussions and real-world case studies, delegates were able to gain thought-provoking and actionable insights into sustainable urban development, harnessing technology for smarter cities, and addressing emerging challenges in the valuation and investment sectors.

This year’s conference was one of the most successful to date, not just in terms of delegate numbers, but also collaborative support. Besides the power-packed, full-day line-up, attendees had the opportunity to connect with industry experts, policymakers and peers during dedicated networking breaks, as well as at the Broll Property Group-sponsored cocktail reception, which provided further networking, deal-making and knowledge-sharing opportunities.

The delegates represented major professional firms, listed property funds, major banks, regulatory councils and professional bodies, such as the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), the South African Council for the Property Valuers Profession (SACPVP), the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP), the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS), the South African Institute of Valuers (SAIV) and the US-based IREM. Attendees comprised C-suite individuals, senior management, built environment professionals, presidents and registrars of professional bodies, academics from RICS-accredited universities, and students from countries including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Uganda and the USA.

The new “business as usual”

The first morning opened with the sponsor’s address by the IFC’s Kushinga Kambarami, creating a sense of urgency for the built environment to take climate change seriously and lead the way in embracing green as the new “business as usual”. He introduced the EDGE Buildings programme, which has been a game-changer, driving efficiency and sustainability in the built environment, and also spoke of the continuing need for empowering women in the property sector as a crucial element for fostering inclusive growth and innovation.

Annabel Bishop of Investec gave an overview of Africa’s largest economy, South Africa. She was of the view that inflation could be maintained within the tighter monetary framework below 4.5%. On the interest rate outlook, she foresaw two 25 basis points cuts possible in the next 18 months. There was some discussion around the one trillion Rand infrastructure spend budget by the South African government over the next three years and the opportunity this provides for built environment professionals.

Urban planner Yasmin Coovadia started the conversation on why (town) planning matters. She explained some of the dynamics requiring dynamic policy responses to ensure urbanisation enhances the quality of life for an ever-increasing number of urban residents. Sibusiso Ndlovu of Fortress Real Estate Investments gave very lucid and practical examples of how big business operates in infrastructure-challenged, rapidly urbanising centres. Thandiwe Dhlamini from Centre for Affordable Housing Finance brought a Pan-African perspective on how these challenges are being faced by players on the continent. The speakers shared insights into innovative strategies and practical solutions to promote sustainable urban development, along with real-world examples that are reshaping how we think about urban development.

Housing needs

The panel took a journey across the continent, looking at how different role players are responding to housing needs. At the heart of the discussion was the critical question: How do we plan effectively, for everyone? A key comment emanating from the panel was that “80% of the property needed to house the continent’s population by 2050 has not been built”. A powerful insight that anchored the panel discussion came from Professor Francois Viruly, who made the point that, “The informal market is the market in Africa”: a critical reminder that any strategy for affordable housing must centre around the lived realities of informal livelihoods and urban settlements, with a view to building for that market, and making it work better.

Valuations

Riaan Fourie from CBRE Excellerate brought valuations into focus. He explained some of the technical challenges of doing valuations in different, rapidly urbanising markets on the continent and emphasised that the application of standards, ethics and credible data are non-negotiable. Charles Golding, RICS Senior Specialist Valuation and Investment Advisory, highlighted the importance of ESG considerations in valuations and noted the need for valuers to upgrade and operate on a global best practice basis, such as the RICS Redbook. The panel discussion with Moses Lutalo, Shadrack Mella and Dianne de Wet looked at how the users of valuations needs are changing and how technology such as AI can assist but never overtake the skill and diligence of a human practitioner. Local expertise and knowledge from across Africa were combined with a discussion of many of the key issues impacting valuation globally, such as Al/ technology, ESG consideration and availability of data.

African initiatives

Ivan Cornet of Latitude Five gave an armchair-tourist overview of a large-scale, mixed-use development in Morocco. He explained the timing, structure and type of funding that made a project of this scale feasible. The panel that followed, comprising seasoned bankers Adeniyi Adeleye of Standard Bank, Deo Onyango of IFC and Gerhard Zeelie of Nedbank, was a masterclass in the fundamentals of property finance and gave clear guidelines on raising funding, including access to green funding.

Looking to the future, we were taken to Kigali, Rwanda, with a walk-through of the implemented smart city concept by Craig Clulow, CEO of Kigali Innovation City. We learnt that with intention, clear vision and a supportive government in a private public partnership, vibrant developments can take shape and deliver.

The day was closed off by RICS Senior Vice President Maureen Ehrenberg on how RICS remains relevant globally, and more than ever in Africa, with a clear sense that RICS can play an important role in helping countries build consistent standards where needed – albeit with a definite focus on collaboration with existing bodies and governments. She reaffirmed the commitment that Africa remains a key market for RICS.

Overall, it was an inspiring day of learning, leadership, and connection, which unpacked the big issues shaping Africa’s future. www.rics.org