Nairobi suffers over-supply of office units – KBC
By
vincent wambugu
-
March 12, 2018
Kenya’s the real estate sector is facing the hard reality of more office units and few tenants after a decade of neck-speed growth.
The situation is dire in Nairobi which is suffering from a huge over-supply of office units. The situation has been compounded further by slow economic growth and last year’s long electioneering process.
But real estate firm Cytonn, a victim of the glut, says Nairobi had a total supply of 32 million square feet of office space by December 2017.
In the last ten years, Nairobi has been a huge construction site, literary. The city’s skyline has been turned into a massive scaffolding arena with heavy trucks fighting for space in congested city alleys to deliver construction materials.
Though signs of a looming oversupply of office space started to manifest five years ago, developers decided to bury their heads under the sand.
The city is now faced more than 5 million square feet of empty office space. But the number could be higher than quoted.
Upperhill and Westlands that have been the darling of developers are the hardest hit by the glut. Skyscrapers that were completed 3 years ago are reported to have an occupancy rate of 50 percent.
According to Cytonn Investments, Nairobi had a total supply of 31.8 million square feet of office space while only 3.5 million square feet of office space were delivered in 2017.
The average occupancy level dropped in 2017 to 83.2% from 88.0% in 2016. Cytonn quotes protracted electioneering period, tough operating environment due to low credit supply as the main culprits.
The market is expected to face more uncertainty in the next 3 years.
By
vincent wambugu
-
March 12, 2018
Kenya’s the real estate sector is facing the hard reality of more office units and few tenants after a decade of neck-speed growth.
The situation is dire in Nairobi which is suffering from a huge over-supply of office units. The situation has been compounded further by slow economic growth and last year’s long electioneering process.
But real estate firm Cytonn, a victim of the glut, says Nairobi had a total supply of 32 million square feet of office space by December 2017.
In the last ten years, Nairobi has been a huge construction site, literary. The city’s skyline has been turned into a massive scaffolding arena with heavy trucks fighting for space in congested city alleys to deliver construction materials.
Though signs of a looming oversupply of office space started to manifest five years ago, developers decided to bury their heads under the sand.
The city is now faced more than 5 million square feet of empty office space. But the number could be higher than quoted.
Upperhill and Westlands that have been the darling of developers are the hardest hit by the glut. Skyscrapers that were completed 3 years ago are reported to have an occupancy rate of 50 percent.
According to Cytonn Investments, Nairobi had a total supply of 31.8 million square feet of office space while only 3.5 million square feet of office space were delivered in 2017.
The average occupancy level dropped in 2017 to 83.2% from 88.0% in 2016. Cytonn quotes protracted electioneering period, tough operating environment due to low credit supply as the main culprits.
The market is expected to face more uncertainty in the next 3 years.