East Africa’s real estate market has defied global headwinds to record impressive growth from Nairobi’s logistics boom to Dar es Salaam’s affordable housing demand. It’s against this backdrop that the 12th annual East Africa Property Investment (EAPI) Summit opened today, drawing more than 450 investors, developers, and policymakers to Nairobi’s Pullman Upperhill Hotel for two days of high-impact dealmaking.
Themed ‘Positioning for Opportunity’, the 2025 Summit spotlights sector-wide growth drivers: stabilizing interest rates, tech disruption (AI/Proptech) and record capital inflows into hospitality, retail, logistics, and mixed-use developments across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia. The summit provides a unique platform to access funding and finance, as well as connect with the project professionals and industry players actively developing East Africa’s real estate sector.
The 2025 EAPI Summit which is co-located with the EAPI Hospitality Forum and EAPI Proptech Forums features dedicated discussions covering crucial areas including investment, capital markets, occupier trends, retail, logistics, hospitality, and affordable housing.
Key sessions during the summit include an overview of the macroeconomic landscape in an emerging multi-polar world, a comparison of opportunities and yields in Commercial versus Emerging Asset classes, and exploring long-term capital deployment strategies involving Private Capital, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and Banks.
The summit also focused on the growing influence of technology and AI in Real Estate, which keynote speaker Abdi Mohammed, CEO of Absa Kenya noted that “Nairobi has been ranked among the top 10 cities in Africa for real estate investment in 2024 driven by the growing middle class, the tech ecosystem in the in the in the market, and some good progress on infrastructure development, we continue to see the rise of mixed use development, and this continues to shape the urban landscape, not just in Kenya, but across the region, as cities respond to changing lifestyles and work patterns. ”
The meeting also focused on specific market segments, providing insights into Healthcare in Kenya, the growth of Hospitality real estate including high-end resorts, beachfront villas, conservation developments, luxury, community, and wellness assets.
In his remarks during the summit, Mark Dunford, CEO, Knight Frank Kenya said “Africa is the fastest urbanizing population in the world.The World Bank is suggesting it’s going to be 60% urbanized as a population by 2050 which is 900 million people living in urban centers across Sub Saharan Africa by 2050 so that’s a huge demand for housing. ”
Other vital topics being addressed include strategies for transitioning from renting to owning, the potential of Build-to-Rent models to address housing affordability, the role of Mixed-Use Design in future living spaces, and securing funding for world class residential developments.
The summit received participation from across the industry with firms such as IFC, JLL Africa, Knight Frank Kenya, Standard Bank Group, Radisson Hotel Group, HassConsult Real Estate, Tilisi Developments Plc, GREA, and MRI Software, among many others taking part.
About the East Africa Property Investment (EAPI) Summit
The annual EAPI Summit is East Africa’s premier real estate gathering connecting over 450+ global investors, developers and professionals from across the real estate and hospitality sectors for two days of deal making, networking and insights from industry leaders and trend makers. The event hosts dedicated discussions focused on investment; capital markets; occupier trends; retail, logistics, hospitality, affordable housing and retail.
