Tilisi Developments

AN URBAN EXPERIENCE IN A SERENE LOCATION

TILISI DEVELOPMENTS

2 | Africa Outlook issue 80

CONSTRUCTION

Infrastructure

Inspired

Tilisi’s unique business model of building world class infrastructure and providing fully serviced land parcels for investors to purchase and develop is enabling the transformation of a promising suburban Kenyan plot Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

T

he green city in the sun; the safari capital of the world; Nai (for short). Nairobi has garnered numerous nicknames over the years, but arguably none is more telling of its current reputation than its newest alias – the Silicon Savannah.

A monumental metropolis, the number of residents in the Kenyan capital has grown 40 percent in the past decade from 3.1 million to 4.4 million. And with that has come the city’s consolidated status as a crucial backbone of African business.

Take the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), for example. Its skyline is comparable with those of many major European, American and Asian cities, and it has become the regional hub of hundreds of multinationals including Coca-Cola, General Electric, IBM, Toyota, Nestlé, Standard Chartered Bank, Heineken, Blackberry and Cisco.

Today, the capital accounts for 70 percent of Kenya’s wealth, and with an exponential growth trajectory that is continually accelerating, it

Tilisi Developments is a consortium of developers who came together in 2013, when they saw a pocket of land outside of Nairobi’s central business district. When finished, the project will serve as a major business and logistics hub

has created a buzz that has extended into the surrounding suburban areas, evidenced by some particularly exciting real estate projects.

Enter Tilisi Developments – an organisation heading up the multi-year development of a 400-acre site, named Tilisi, that can be found in a prime location against the backdrop of Limuru’s sprawling greenery, just 30 kilometres north of Nairobi’s CBD. “Tilisi is a project that immediately caught our eye,” states Kavit Shah, Tilisi Developments’ Co-CEO. “It’s within close proximity to local highways that provide access to both Nairobi and Westlands – two regional business hubs – and their associated facilities, such as schools, medical care centres, shopping malls and commercial offices.

“When our consortium of developers came across it in 2013, we immediately saw the project’s potential, and quickly set about purchasing the plot and gaining an understanding of how it could best be put to use.”

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TILISI DEVELOPMENTS Mapped out from ensuing market research activities, the blueprint for Tilisi today looks like something of a miniature city, outlining what will eventually become a major logistics park, residential neighbourhood and commercial hub that is expected to transform the region.

AN INNOVATIVE TWIST There’s no question that building a miniature city from scratch is a highly complex undertaking. Yet this is where LEADERSHIP FOCUS

KAVIT SHAH Previously based in the UK, working for PwC as a qualified chartered accountant between September 2006 and March 2010, Shah had a change of heart and decided to alter his career path during a conversation with his father.

“I was getting a bit bored of my job, and told my father this, who then asked me if I’d like to join him in Kenya and work on a major real estate project,” he explains.

“I had a think and decided it was worth a try, so took a three-month sabbatical from PwC, came to Kenya, and never looked back.

That was 10 years ago.”

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Tilisi Developments’ unique business model bears fruit.

The organisation has budgeted $40 million to build world class infrastructure, creating fully serviced land parcels that will provide the platform from which the entire 400-acre environment can be built and eventually flourish.

“Tarmac roads, streetlighting, drainage, boreholes, power and utilities connections, footpaths and cycle lanes – we’re constructing the skeleton for everything you would expect to find in a modern urban community,” Kavit explains.

“The idea is that these parcels of land are then sold to residential and industrial developers, who can then complete their own construction works with ease by plugging buildings directly into the landscape and its readymade infrastructure.”

To date, numerous companies have sought to capitalise on this offering. Africa Logistics Properties,

for example, purchased 49 acres of land within the Tilisi Logistics Park to develop and lease out grade A warehousing, which broke ground in June 2019.

Likewise, real estate developers Maisha Homes and Chigwell acquired 10 and 47 acres to build high density apartments and medium density houses respectively, projects that will accompany Tilisi’s own residential undertaking which will also span over an additional 41 acres.

Owed to this unique model, Tilisi has to maintain close working relationships with each of its customers.

According to the Co-CEO, however, its partnerships with suppliers, contractors and consultants are equally important.

“These relationships are massive to the long-term sustainability of the project,” he explains.

“When we bring a new entity on board, we’re looking for them to contribute to Tilisi’s entire lifespan.

CONSTRUCTION

Prisma Technics Ltd, P.O. Box 49197 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

Location: 9 West, 3rd Floor, Ring Road Parklands, Westlands.

consulting

engineers

a further 120 acres of land that will be used for residential, educational, commercial and healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, in October it also welcomed its first As well as industrial space, Tilisi will house a flagship retail centre and recreational facilities housing project If something goes wrong, or there’s that is anticipated to begin accoma problem down the line, then we need modating residents before the end of to be able to rely on these organisa2021. tions to provide a quick, high-quality, With these two key milestones set to efficient fix in order to prevent any constitute the site’s primary focus for setbacks.”

2020, Shah is able to end our conversation on an optimistic note, reiteratSETTING A NEW STANDARD ing the long-term impact of Tilisi and Indeed, as a result of recent developits potential ability to transform the ments, these partners are undoubtlives of local people. edly more critical to Tilisi today than “Every year Tilisi becomes more ever before. and more exciting as a we make more The company announced in January progress, break new ground and take that the second phase of its ongoing ever greater strides,” he affirms. development programme had com“Even now, the ongoing works menced, set to unlock the potential of surrounding Tilisi are having a major

C +254 (0) 733 612 009 C +254 (0)722 514 140 E prismatechnics@gmail.com

impact on the region, offering employment to numerous people, and we expect that the area will provide up to 10,000 new jobs and 5,000 homes which will accommodate 20,000 people once it is fully complete.

“On top of that, the amenities here will become a big draw. We’ll be building a flagship retail centre and recreational facilities including a stateof-the-art gym, that will also deliver an entertainment factor to the surrounding region.

“What we ultimately see Tilisi doing above all else, however, is setting a new standard in terms of how construction can and should be done.”

TILISI DEVELOPMENTS www.tilisi.co.ke

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TILISI DEVELOPMENTS Tilisi Developments PLC, Tilisi, Off A104 (Nairobi-Nakuru highway) Tel: +254 (0) 714 845 474 sales@tilisi.co.ke www.tilisi.co.ke PRODUCED BY AFRICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE