At the Ghana Property and Lifestyle Expo, property deals amounting to millions of pounds were made as hundreds of people attended.
Hundreds of diasporans attended the Ghana Property and Lifestyle Expo as interest in investing in Africa keeps growing.Initial estimates indicate that the two-day event resulted in property transactions worth more than £2 million.
The Pestana Chelsea Hotel celebration, which has been praised as its biggest and finest to yet, attracted about 20 exhibitors from Ghana and attendees from all over Europe and the UK.
The GLPE, created by real estate dynamos Anna and Victoria Agyekum, was previously held virtually owing to the epidemic but returned this year as an in-person event in London.
GPLE co-founder Victoria Ageykum, also the co-founder of parent company On Point Property Management Ltd which she runs with Anna, said:
“The two days were simply fantastic. The Expo exceeded our expectations with the numbers that attended and positive feedback has been received from both attendees and exhibitors.
“We are delighted to be able to provide this platform as a resource for anyone investing in property or visiting Ghana.”
Created with the purpose of bridging the gap with the diaspora and educating a broader international audience about the vast opportunities of the west African nation’s expanding real estate market, attendees were left feeling inspired with indispensable knowledge about making an investment in Ghana and securing their financial future.
Ghana’s real estate contribution to GDP has almost doubled from 1.8% in 2016 to 3% in 2021, with an annual growth rate projected at 6.5% annually 2023-2025
Keynote Speakers at the event, which took place on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th, November 2022, included Yaw Amoateng Afriyie, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre UK, and Papa Kow Bartels, Head of Trade & Investment, Ghana High Commission UK & Ireland.
Presentations were delivered by Evans Yaw Amoah-Nyamekye, Lawyer in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom of England & Wales and President, Ghana Bar Association; Will Writing and Estate Planning by Vanessa Blythe, CEO at Peace of Mind Services; practical investor insights from Bennard Owusu, Barrister and Solicitor to the superior courts of Ghana and Solicitor to the senior courts of England & Wales, and a financial planning presentation by Mary Ayisi Boadu, Investment Banker, Author, and Financial Coach.
Panel discussions and Q&A sessions featured representatives from Goldkey Properties Ltd, VAAL Real Estate, Devtraco Plus & The Professional Mortgage Specialist (UK).
Papa Kow Bartels, Head of Trade & Investment Ghana High Commission UK & Ireland, said:
“GLPE is brilliant. Victoria and Anna have created a soft landing for the diaspora who are here for a safe and easier way to invest in and visit Ghana.”
Nazir Halabi-Ahmam, Sales Manager, VAAL Real Estate, first-time exhibitor and silver sponsor, said: “The whole event has been amazing and very well organized. We are definitely signing up for next year – the opportunity to meet with the diaspora and clients. We have already done a few sales. We checked the history of what On Point Property has done and we have achieved exactly what we wanted by being here.”
He confirmed his company generated strong sales at GLP and has many leads being followed up. Many of the other exhibitors confirmed firm sales across the two days and are also currently following up on solid leads.
The GLPE opened with an intimate cocktail evening for exhibitors and selected invited guests supporting the expo, including Beverly Corson, CEO of Wandsworth Chambers, on Friday (November 11).
The evening was hosted by actress and TV host Ama K Abebrese and Kweku Owisi Frimpong and included free-flowing champagne, wine, and beverages alongside delectable gourmet hors d’oeuvres provided by Pestana Hotel House Chef.
Plans for next year’s Ghana Property & Lifestyle Expo are already underway and many exhibitors are already keen to sign up. Next year may see the event taken to Atlanta, Georgia, and other US states in the summer of 2023 and London again in the Winter.