Zambia set to host housing finance conference

Zambia will host the 42nd Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting of the African Union for Housing Finance (AUHF) for the first time, with Government calling for a functional national housing finance framework to improve access to decent and affordable homes.

Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Permanent Secretary, Albert Malama, said the country needed an effective housing finance framework that addressed both demand and supply, as well as a clearly defined national housing strategy supported by a pipeline of projects.

Malama said this on Wednesday in Lusaka during the AUHF media and sponsors breakfast meeting held at the Zambia National Building Society (ZNBS) head office.

The conference is scheduled to take place in November.

He also highlighted the need for a national housing task force to strengthen coordination and other mechanisms to support the implementation of the country’s housing ambitions.

Malama said these measures were key to translating national housing goals into practical, financeable and sustainable interventions.

“The conference is more than a speaking platform but a call to collective action and presents an opportunity to showcase Zambia’s progress, learn from other countries and move towards implementation,” he said.

Malama commended ZNBS for securing hosting rights for the continental conference, which is expected to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, cooperating partners and sponsors.

He said the conference would take place at a critical time when Government, under President Hakainde Hichilema, had placed housing, infrastructure and urban development at the centre of efforts to improve living standards and unlock economic growth.

“For government, access to decent, affordable and adequate housing is not simply a social need, but an important economic imperative,” Malama said.

He said housing was central to household dignity and security, while also contributing to inclusive economic growth, employment creation and the development of industries across the housing value chain.

Malama added that the conference aligned with Government’s Grow Zambia Agenda, which sought to accelerate economic transformation through investment, infrastructure expansion, private sector participation, job creation and sustainable development.

He noted that rising urbanisation had increased demand for quality housing in planned settlements, affordable housing finance, serviced land, water and sanitation services, and efficient transport systems to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Malama stressed that addressing the housing challenge required a whole-of-government approach and collaboration with the private sector, communities and cooperating partners, as no single institution could resolve it alone.

“The conference offers Zambia a unique opportunity to promote investment and tourism, showcase hospitality and cultural heritage and highlight government’s commitment to an enabling environment,” he said.

He called on sponsors, stakeholders, development partners and the media to actively participate in promoting the conference and ensuring that its outcomes translated into practical action.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, I reaffirm our strong commitment to the successful hosting of the 42nd Annual Conference and AGM of the African Union for Housing Finance,” Malama said.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Finance and National Planning Permanent Secretary for Economic Management and Finance, Mulele Mulele, said Zambia needed to address housing affordability and access to finance alongside efforts to increase housing supply, particularly for low-income households.

Mulele said many Zambians, especially those working in the informal sector, struggled to access conventional mortgages because of income requirements, high borrowing costs and limited availability of long-term financing.

“We must therefore develop innovative housing finance solutions that respond to the circumstances of ordinary Zambians,” he said.

ZNBS Acting Managing Director, Mwansa Kapeya, said the future of affordable housing would depend on innovation, technological advancement and stronger connections across the housing value chain, from land and infrastructure to construction, finance, investment and homeownership.

Kapeya said technology was already transforming how houses were designed, built, financed and managed.

He said innovative construction methods could reduce building costs and delivery times, while digital financial solutions could expand access to housing finance.

Stronger partnerships across the housing value chain could also help address longstanding barriers that had made housing expensive and inaccessible to many people, he said.

“This is why the AUHF conference matters. The AUHF conference gives Zambia a unique opportunity to advance the housing agenda. We expect more than 200 delegates for this conference,” Kapeya said.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.