By Patricia Nekongo
For many Namibians, owning a house has become a lifetime of debt rather than a pathway to building wealth for future generations, according to investor, Harvey Boulter.
He made these remarks when he launched low cost housing initiative, aimed at constructing 10,000 houses, in which low-income earners will have access to land and housing at affordable prices.
Boulter attributed this reality to soaring property prices, hefty deposits and strict bank lending requirements shutting thousands out of the housing market, a new affordable housing development east of Windhoek is seeking to change that reality by offering an interest-free route to land ownership.
The 686-hectare development, spearheaded by community activist Michael Amushelelo, legal practitioner Kadhilla Amoomo and Boulter, is expected to create between 9,000 and 10,000 residential plots, giving low and middle-income earners an opportunity to secure land through manageable monthly instalments starting from about N$1,500.
Boulter said he was drawn to the project after witnessing how so-called affordable housing often remains beyond the reach of ordinary Namibians once deposits, monthly repayments and bank lending requirements are factored in.
“Simply put, these affordable homes are unaffordable to ordinary Namibians,” Boulter said.
He added that the project is intended to provide a genuine entry point into the property market for teachers, nurses, police officers, civil servants and other hardworking Namibians who have long been excluded from home ownership.
“This is above politics. It cannot divide us. It must unite us because the delivery of affordable housing is urgent,” Boulter said.
Located approximately 30 kilometres east of Windhoek along the A1 corridor, the development’s master plan makes provision for about 10,528 residential plots, which are expected to be refined to between 9,000 and 10,000 serviced erven after surveys and approvals.
The vision extends beyond residential plots.
The development will include schools, clinics, shopping facilities, parks, places of worship, public transport infrastructure and other community services to create a fully integrated neighbourhood.
The project will initially offer 300-square-metre plots for N$40,000, 400-square-metre plots for N$50,000 and 500-square-metre plots for N$60,000.
Unlike conventional property purchases that require substantial upfront deposits, buyers will reserve their plots through monthly instalments beginning at around N$1,500, allowing them to spread payments over approximately 40 months.
Once the land has been acquired, developers will install roads, water, electricity, sewerage, stormwater and other essential infrastructure.
Rather than adding profit margins to these services, infrastructure costs will be shared among buyers through a cost pass-through model, meaning purchasers contribute only the actual approved costs of servicing the land.
Developers estimate infrastructure costs will range between N$80,000 and N$120,000 per plot, depending on final engineering designs and regulatory approvals.
After servicing is completed, home owners will be free to build at their own pace using bank finance, employer-backed loans, pension-backed finance or approved modular housing options.
Amushelelo said the project is about restoring hope to thousands of Namibians who have watched the dream of home ownership drift further out of reach.
“We want every Namibian to have the opportunity to own a piece of land and leave a home for future generations,” he said.
Amoomo said transparency and accountability would remain central to the project to ensure participants’ interests are protected throughout the development process.
The developers believe the initiative could become one of Namibia’s largest privately driven affordable housing projects, offering thousands of families not just serviced land, but a realistic pathway to finally owning a home.
