COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INSIGHTS | 10 FEBRUARY 2023 Investing in Kenya's future, its youth Absa | Corporate and Investment Banking > Insights and Events > Investing in Kenya’s future, its youth SHARE Absa provided Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT a 6-year development finance loan of KES 6.7 billion to part finance the development of 10 sustainable, high quality, purpose-built student accommodation projects. Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT are pioneers of REIT market development in Nairobi, with Acorn Student Accommodation D-REIT being the first issuers of a development REIT in Africa. This follows the company’s success of being the first issuer of a green bond in Kenya. As a Pan-African bank, sustainability is a key strategic enabler. We’re passionate about ESG and bringing more sustainable assets to the African market. Student accommodation throughout Africa remains an in-target asset class given the market demand and social importance related to housing on the continent. With this deal – a development finance loan to part finance the development of 10 sustainable, high quality, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) projects - we became the first bank to finance a development REIT in a bilateral loan agreement in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is also our first sustainable finance for a commercial property finance transaction outside of South Africa. The bravery to imagine and the will to get things done. That’s Africanacity. Find out more about our Commercial Property Finance solutions https://cib.absa.africa/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/file_example_MP3_700KB.mp3 Related Articles COMMERCIAL PROPERTY East Africa’s Real Estate Market Primed for Those Who Know It Best In 2023, a financing deal quietly redrew the boundaries of East Africa’s real estate playbook. Acorn Holdings Limited secured KES 6.7 billion from Absa Group and Absa Bank Kenya to develop ten purpose-built student accommodation sites across Nairobi. Read more EVENTS East Africa Property Investment Summit 2025 With a banking footprint that stretches across South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, we partner with our clients to tailor the ideal funding structure for commercial property investment and development needs – from expanding infrastructure to acquiring or replacing assets and financing projects. Read more COMMERCIAL PROPERTY The Human Impact of Property Development: Establishing socially conscious economic hubs Just a few years ago, those driving between Pietermaritzburg and Durban would be confronted by kilometres of empty space between the two cities, an ever-widening highway, and field upon field of sugarcane. Read more
