Mobilising Capital for Housing Finance Conference Report

The 2013 African Union for Housing Finance (AUHF) conference addressed a key challenge faced by housing lenders across the continent: raising enough capital to meet the growing demand for housing finance. Hosted by AUHF member, the Mauritius Housing Company, the AUHF conference presented a wide range of topics under the theme “Mobilising Capital for Housing Finance”. Chinese investment in Africa is increasingly having an impact, and investments in residential development are already demonstrating a track record of opportunity and experience. Liu Haifang, Associate Professor from the University of Peking, moderated a panel of Chinese investors, in which each set out their experiences and expectations for the market. Allan Cain, of the Development Workshop Angola, introduced the delegates to the Africa China Urban Initiative, and offered a series of comparative statistics illustrating similarities and differences between African and Chinese urban experiences.