Business Quest 
George Mburu,Founder &CEO-Mizizi Africa Homes Ltd[Photo/Mizizi Homes Ltd}
Mizizi Africa Homes has bagged multiple awards in its endeavor to turn dreams into qualityhomes and residences;
George Mburu has a gentle demeanor. He is calm, humble and composed. But beneath the gentleness, is a strategic, visionary real estate developer, with a reputation for delivering quality
products and services.
From the onset, Mburu wanted to own his home and live in a decent setting. He forecast owning a house at a young age, for he was tired of paying out huge amounts of money every month in rent. He was then an employee of a leading real estate company in Nairobi.
Knowing too well that nothing comes on a silver platter, the industrious young Mburu worked so hard to ensure he actualized his dream.He learnt the trade, and put in his best foot forward. This enabled him to amass a wealth of experience in the industry.
He succeeded to build his dream home and settled his young family in it, forthwith putting a stop
to the cumbersome hide and seek games that at times befall tenants with their landlords. But Mburu’s vision didn’t just end at owning the home. He wanted other young people, among many prospecting real estate enthusiasts, to also own their homes. As he reveals to me, the ultimate wish of every man is to settle his family in a decent place that can be called his.
“I realized there was a huge need for provision of quality affordable homes. People living in the diaspora also struggled to find a place to reside in when they came back home to visit. This was a gap that needed to be filled up,” Mburu says.
Bittersweet moment
Consequently, in 2019, he founded the real estate company, Mizizi Homes Africa.
The company was started at a bittersweet time.It was barely three years since president Uhuru Kenyatta opened a floodgate of opportunities for private and public real estate developers tosupply the demanding market with affordable homes. The President had promised to dedicate his energy, time and resources to ensure the success of four main programs,key among them
affordable housing.
estate companies that fraudulently made a killing from investors by failing to deliver on the
promise of supplying them with homes.The market was therefore quite anxious, and potential home buyers were keen to invest their monies only in lifelong, promising investments.
Being the optimist Mburu is, he focused more on the good side of the industry, flipping the pages with some of the best strategies that would endear his business to clients. He would learn from the mistakes of his competitors, while at the same time embrace progressive approaches in business.
The strategy was commendable- to bring on board like-minded individuals with the desire to grow and achieve high returns on investments as well as the need for homes in strategic areas which would otherwise be a pipe dream.
“We have pulled together a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals from all fields in order to realize this dream.This includes but not limited to architects, surveyors, financial experts,business executives and IT experts, lawyers and supervisors among other construction staff, whilst working with all relevant government authorities,” a statement from the firm reads in part. Above all, Mizizi exemplifies the major core values of a successful property developer- forward thinking, decisive, people skills, attention to detail and trustworthiness.
Accolades:
These core values appear to have paid off. Barely five years in the highly competitive industry, Mizizi Africa Homes has a long list of awards and accolades to show for the good work the company has been delivering. The CEO’s office desk is arrayed with close to eight trophies. The company was awarded in
2021 for being the most preferred low-cost residential developer.
It was also awarded by DigitalTech for being the most improved real estate developer in the use of digital solutions. Mizizi Africa Homes was also awarded as the low-cost housing developer of the year. In the same year (2021) the company was recognized for its outstanding performance as the most
affordable mid-plan housing company, among many other awards and accolades.“We thank God for this is testament that there are people who are noticing and appreciating the good job our company does. We have come from a promising real estate company to be among the best companies offering low-cost housing. This is a sign of growth and we are determined to continue doing our best,” the CEO says.
Attractive Properties:
The company’s long list of properties are set in very strategic locations, where buyers and potential investors are guaranteed of lifelong returns. Mizizi Africa Homes so far has rolled out 12 projects to its name, with their very first project- Penguin, located on Kenyatta Road exit 14, breaking ground in August 2019. The latest project, Falcon Hill, located in Gatundu-Juja Road Exit 15, breaking ground in June last year (2021).
The projects feature among other things; spacious sunken lounge and dining area; large windows or natural lighting, special laundry area, tiled floors and gypsum ceiling, customized open kitchen with a granite breakfast table, cabinets, fridge and cooker area; pantry area, perimeter wall all around the estate, cabro roads and paved parking for two cars, among other incredible features.
Other housing projects developed by Mizizi Africa Homes include: Kijani Kibichi Estate in Diani, Kwale County; Falcon Bungalows and mansonettes in Juja, Kiambu County; Asali Bungalows and Maisonettes on Kangundo Road; SSS Waiganjo Bungalows and Maisonettes on Kiganjo road; Ostrich Bungalows and Maisonettes on Kenyatta Road; Heritage Phase 1 & 2 Estates; Penguin Estate; Pigeon Estate Peacock 1 and 2 Maisonettes and Bungalows, among others.
“The company is gradually rejuvenating. We started off by targeting the local working class.Today, we have quite a number of people living in the diaspora catered for. Foreigners are also increasingly tapping into our services. Our greatest strength is that we develop modern units,” the CEO explains, adding:
“The moment we enter into an agreement with a client, we develop, sell and walk the journey
through with the client. We are always at the clients’ service. Meaning you could be located
abroad, working and staying there, but we ensure we develop the property befit to your taste
and preference even in your absence.”
Eye on Coastal Kenya:
Towards the end of 2021, the property developer ventured into the coastal real estate market to
tap into the high demand holiday homes as the tourism sector rebound. The company’s initial
plan was to set up 3-bedroom 5-bedroom villas in Diani before the end of the year (2021), as
part of its bigger expansion strategy beyond Nairobi.
The CEO says the firm’s debut into the coastal market was due to a surge in customer requests for holiday homes over the pandemic period. The coastal region has become sound for doing business. With the construction of the Dongo Kundu bypass and pavement of beach access roads, movement has become easier and investments come calling.
According to the CEO, some of their customers have been looking for affordable investment homes that can give them returns while others sought for investments in tranquil and less crowded places away from the capital city. Diani emerged as the firm’s best destination to meet this demand.
The CEO says that despite the challenging business environment and cut throat competition, he is looking forward to good prospects moving forward.
“We hope to continue working with staff that have customer interests at heart. This is partly what has driven the company to these heights. We would want to see a future where when the term affordable housing will be mentioned in the region, Mizizi Africa Homes will top the list,” Mburu affirms.
