Developer offers tips on becoming owners of posh beach homes
Joseph Njoroge is the Director and Founder of Pazurina Holdings International Limited.
Milliam Murigi @millymur1
Briefly tell us about Pazurina Holdings International?
We are a land buying and selling company based in Nairobi, and founded in 2019.
Our main projects are in Diani and our flagship project is Pazurina Beach Golf City.
The Golf City is a well-designed city, which has a nine-hole Golf Course and Golf Clubhouse with a VIP lounge.
We decided to focus on beach properties for various reasons, majorly because of the growing desire for holiday experiences at the coast for both Kenyans and non-Kenyans.
Holidaying costs have, however, been rising particularly for families.
We, therefore, saw a need to provide an opportunity for holiday home ownership where the owner can enjoy while on holiday and the possibility of income while away.
Also, we sought to demystify some of the misconceptions about this kind of properties.
What kind of misconceptions?
The first misconception is about pricing. Most people think that beach properties are beyond reach, but this is not true.
Through Pazurina Holdings Limited many people have been able to purchase beach properties.
The second misconception is that these properties are for specific developments.
The truth is that you can do any type of development on your beach property.
Another misconception is about documentation; most people believe that beach properties do not have title deeds. The truth is that necessary documents are available.
There are other good beaches along coastal Kenya. What made you to choose Diani?
Good question. The answer is simple and straightforward. Diani has the best beach in Africa, and it has been voted six times in a row as the best beach in the continent by World Travel Award.
Secondly, Diani is less congested hence offering an ideal atmosphere for holidays.
What are the new trends in beach property ownership?
Unlike before when most investors invested in such properties to build hotels, the new trend is owning these properties for holiday homes.
The biggest percentage of our customers are buying these plots for this purpose.
The positive uptake of Airbnb vacation rentals is also another driving force. Pazurina Holdings Limited has created an enabling environment for such kind of developments by offering gated communities with the necessary amenities.
We have had a good number of people investing in this segment and demand for our beach properties has grown tremendously.
How many projects have you sold so far and what are your future plans?
This is our second project and it is 70 per cent sold. We have other projects in the pipeline and we hope that in the next three years our Pazurina Beach Golf City will be up and running.
Ukunda airstrip expansion is in the process. Will this have an impact on Diani properties?
Yes, this will have a major impact not only on our Diani properties, but also increase business activities in the region.
It is a great gateway for international investors and tourists. We expect that in the next two years, local and international tourist will flock the area, and will offer wonderful business opportunities for holiday home owners.
Dongo Kundu Bypass Highway is the most expensive road ever built in Kenya, that starts at Miritini (Northwest of Mombasa CBD) and ends at Ng’ombeni (South of Mombasa CBD), without entering Mombasa Island. How will it influence the economic status of Diani?
This road is truly an economic light for Diani. The coming up of Dongo Kundu highway is a game changer.
It will positively affect all aspects of social economic status of Diani. Cost of building and cost of doing business will significantly decrease, it will attract much more tourists as well as local and international investors.
In fact, as we speak international companies, such as a shoe factory and food processing companies are already setting up shop there.
What are some of the precautions one should take before purchasing a beach property?
Purchasing a beach property entails many things that should be put into consideration before sealing the deal.
Always do due diligence before purchasing any property. It is also important to investigate the coastal regulation zoning laws and make sure that your property is situated at a certain minimum distance and elevation from the ocean.
What are some of the challenges you have been facing and what do you think can help solve them?
Lack of proper guidelines on how development should be done in this area has been a major challenge and I would request the Kwale County Government to come up with some guidelines to guide investors who want to invest here.
For example, they should come up with a plan of a future city. They should develop zoning rules in Diani to offer an area for industries, multi or single dwelling residential zones, market, recreational and other public facilities.
The county government in conjunction with the Ministry of Land should provide wider roads unlike the six-meter roads currently provided.
Because of this, we have been forced to make all our projects-controlled developments to ensure we don’t have future challenges.
Also, access to power and freshwater is a big problem and you have to part with a good amount of money to access them.
These being a basic need for development, I believe that they should be readily available.
