Business Reporter
As the global village pauses to reflect on World Habitat Day, commemorated each year on 5 October, WestProp Holdings takes stock of its role in shaping inclusive and sustainable housing solutions for Zimbabwe.
With a national housing backlog estimated at 1.5 million units, a figure that grows annually as new entrants seek accommodation, the urgency for innovative, scalable, and community-driven development has never been greater.
WestProp’s vision is not only to bridge this gap but to redefine urban living through smart, lifestyle-oriented estates that integrate residential comfort, commercial convenience, and sustainable infrastructure.
With Pomona City dubbed a city within a city, Chivhu Eco City and Swanville City in Bulawayo, Millennium City encompassing Pokugara and Millennium Heights and Mall of Zimbabwe, Westprop has rightly placed itself in tackling the 2030 urbanization agenda.
According to UN-Habitat 50 percent of Zimbabwe’s population will be staying in urban centres by 2030 which is hardly four years away. Westprop’s mixed use developments are both real estate ventures and strategic levers for Zimbabwe’s 2030 urbanisation agenda helping to reduce pressure on major cities.
The Pomona City and Chivhu Eco City projects have capacity to reducing the housing unit waiting list by 40 000 and give shelter to over 160 000 heads, while the Millennium Heights project will provide slightly over 1000 units upon completion, and Swansville will add another 500 housing units.
The company’s live, work, shop and play theme reduces commuting stress and aligns with the “15-minute city” model promoted globally. In WestProp pioneered Zimbabwe’s first 10-year mortgage at Pomona City, making home ownership more accessible. In Chivhu, the company has extended this innovation to a 30-year mortgage, further enhancing affordability and directly advancing SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The Chivhu Eco City will have over 80 percent green spaces, a big five game reserve, and renewable energy integration while Pomona balances higher density with 50 percent green space, showing how densification can coexist with livability.
Mr. Sharpe’s bold “One Billion Bricks by 2050” vision is not just a long-term ambition, it dovetails perfectly with Government’s Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income society.
The smart city concept fits squarely into this national matrix, delivering modern housing, creating jobs, and offering lifestyle amenities that appeal to both local residents and diaspora investors. In this way, WestProp’s mission becomes more than property development; it is a catalyst for inclusive growth, urban renewal, and national prosperity.
“Smart cities like Chivhu Eco City and Pomona City are testbeds for sustainable urbanisation—absorbing population growth, offering affordable housing models, and embedding green infrastructure. If scaled inclusively, they will help Zimbabwe meet its 2030 urbanisation targets while reshaping the narrative from informal sprawl to planned, resilient communities,” said Mr. Sharpe.
WestProp Holdings has pledged to always align with global trends and actively participate in national and international human settlement events. For CEO Ken Sharpe, World Habitat Day is more than a commemoration, it is a call to action.
“World Habitat Day gives us a moment to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, the challenges of urbanization, and the solutions we must deliver,” says Mr. Sharpe. “Through our new cities, we are offering answers—sustainable, modern communities that affirm the basic right to adequate shelter for all.”
Sharpe emphasizes that WestProp’s vision is not confined to Harare.
“We are moving beyond the capital to establish new towns and cities where sustainable urban development is the foundation. This is how we make a real difference.”
The company’s mission dovetails seamlessly with past and present themes of World Habitat Day: Shelter is My Right (1986), Future Cities (1997), Better City, Better Life (2010), Urban Crisis Response (2025), and this year’s theme, Adequate Housing for All.
For Zimbabwe, the event is particularly significant. Rapid urbanization continues to strain housing, infrastructure, and essential services. World Habitat Day provides a platform for the private sector to showcase solutions. WestProp is responding with bold projects—golf estates, eco-cities, and sustainable housing developments—that form part of a broader urban renewal agenda.
Sharpe concludes with conviction:
“We cannot stand aside. We must be part of the celebrations because they allow us to show how we are reshaping urban living, brick by brick, into communities of dignity, opportunity, and sustainability.”
World Habitat Day provides a platform to showcase local initiatives in sustainable development and attract global attention to housing challenges and solutions
