CHAS Everitt International Property Group, one of South Africa’s premier estate agency groups, is expanding its operations into Zimbabwe, with an official launch scheduled for April 2, 2025 in Harare. To gain insight into the company’s plans for Zimbabwe, our assistant editor, Mthandazo Nyoni (MN), conducted an interview with the group’s chief operating officer, Barry Davies (BD). Below are excerpts of the interview:
MN: You recently opened operations in Zimbabwe. Briefly tell us about the Chas Everitt International Property Group.
BD: We are a leading South African real estate firm with a strong footprint across Africa and expanding global ties. Founded in 1980 by Charles and Rosemary Everitt, our company is headquartered in South Africa, while we operate in multiple African countries, including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya, and, most recently, Zimbabwe.
We leverage a franchise model to deliver residential and commercial property sales, rentals, valuations, and management services tailored to local markets. Beyond Africa, the group has established partnerships and affiliations with international real estate networks such as Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (Luxury Portfolio International) and RESA, enabling us to serve clients in destinations such as Dubai (UAE), the United Kingdom, Mauritius, and Australia.
Combining over four decades of expertise with cutting-edge technology, Chas Everitt emphasises personalised service and innovation, catering to luxury, mid-market, and investment-focused clients. Our slogan, “Your Gateway to Property”, reflects our commitment to bridging African and global real estate opportunities, while supporting community initiatives through corporate social responsibility. This dual focus on local expertise and international collaboration positions the group as a trusted partner in Africa’s evolving property landscape and beyond.
MN: When did your operations open, and what inspired your company to expand into the Zimbabwean market?
BD: We received the green light on our licence just last month, on February 10, 2025, and we have been active and operational with a fast-growing team of negotiators since then, with a planned formal launch on April 2, 2025 in Harare. We have always seen ourselves as a Southern African, rather than a South African, company, so it has been on our radar for a long time.
We have been approached numerous times over the years by prospective operators. What it came down to, though, was finding the right partners who aligned with our family values and culture. That was the catalyst for expansion. Our mission is to advance the growth of our great nations through meaningful, lasting contributions. Real estate serves as both a testament to the enduring value of land and a catalyst for progress.
By developing world-class infrastructure and creating vibrant communities, we honour the historical significance of land ownership while empowering Zimbabweans to realise their highest aspirations — securing homes, enabling opportunities, and building legacies for future generations.
MN: What sets your company apart from existing players in the Zimbabwean real estate market and what innovative solutions or services can clients expect from you?
BD: We bring fresh thinking, better technology, and genuine care to real estate in Zimbabwe. Our clients get access to powerful digital marketing, smart client management systems, and streamlined transaction processes that make buying or selling property faster and more transparent.
Our global network will help connect Zimbabwean properties with buyers worldwide. We constantly train our agents to deliver knowledgeable, creative solutions tailored to local needs. We want to be a company that helps raise the bar for Zimbabwe’s real estate industry — a goal our Zimbabwean partners actively endorse and support, building on our solid reputation across Southern Africa with high-quality service, aggressive marketing, and relevant technological innovation.
MN: How do you envision your company contributing to the growth and development of Zimbabwe’s cities and communities?
BD: We aim to play a meaningful role by promoting responsible urban development through partnerships with local developers, community groups, and municipalities. We intend to support projects that help develop and enhance infrastructure, stimulate local economic activity, and contribute positively to the community.
Property ownership is not just a lifelong aspiration for many; it often serves as the cornerstone for building lasting wealth. Additionally, we’re committed to the empowerment and upskilling of local estate agents and industry professionals.
By providing high-quality training and professional development opportunities, we aim to raise industry standards, enhance service delivery, and create meaningful employment opportunities. Ultimately, our vision is to positively impact communities by being more than just a real estate service provider but a trusted partner, in line with our vision — to be the choice.
MN: How much will you contribute to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country?
BD: Specific contributions to FDI would not be feasible to speak about at this time. Our focus is to aggressively promote Zimbabwean property opportunities in South Africa and global markets through our partnerships with leading real estate firms.
Historically, we have seen a lot of interest from the Zimbabwean diaspora, currently living abroad, who want to invest in property back home. Significant interest is still anticipated from the Zimbabwean diaspora for property investment.
MN: How about employment creation?
BD: We want to help our Zimbabwean owners build teams of real estate specialists nationwide in the traditional second-hand residential sales and rentals market, as well as in commercial and development spaces.
Our Nomad model allows for an attractive commission structure for experienced agents, with strong support hubs in Harare and Johannesburg, and globally via our Leading Real Estate Companies of the World partnership, where the tech, tools, and touch give sales and rental agents a comprehensive and unique advantage.
We have had an overwhelming response from experienced and established agents and business professionals from other fields looking to enter the real estate arena. Our academy and mentorship approach allows us to build our bloodlines with new entrants.
MN: What are your thoughts on partnerships? Will you pursue any of these in Zimbabwe?
BD: We are a group known for having a culture of collaboration, and this is fully supported by our Zimbabwe franchise's leadership. Our model has always been one of partnerships—starting with the lifeblood of our business, our agents. Our roadmap, or placemat as we refer to it, has, as one of its pillars, not just establishing key partnerships in the development, finance, legal, and marketing arenas but also an active and ongoing focus on continually building these relationships to serve our clients better.
Lastly, our industry has many talented players, and we join them with a particular strategy of smart partnership to build together faster. As a franchisee, we bring to these partnerships regional and international best practices.
MN: How does the Zimbabwean market differ from other markets where you have invested?
BD: Zimbabwe is an attractive market due to the prevailing use of the United States dollar, giving developers attractive margins of +40% compared to 20-30% elsewhere in the region. However, the Zimbabwean market has distinct characteristics that differ from other regions where Chas Everitt has invested. One noticeable difference is Zimbabwe’s unique economic landscape, which includes currency dynamics, liquidity considerations, financing challenges, and historically high inflation rates.
These factors necessitate agile operational planning based on local realities. In addition to this, the regulatory environment, although sharing similarities with South Africa, demands specific hyper-local requirements around financing, land ownership structures, and compliance frameworks.
Another difference lies in market sentiment and consumer expectations. Zimbabwean property clients, both locally and within the diaspora, have specific needs and priorities. It is where our local franchisees provide invaluable feedback, and understanding these nuances will be critical for us in delivering relevant, targeted customer and agent solutions. Despite these differences, we view the Zimbabwean property market optimistically, and these challenges offer significant opportunities for innovation and sustainable business growth.
MN: What are the current trends in the property sector in Zimbabwe?
BD: The market is operating in an economic context and is recovering alongside persistent challenges such as inflation and currency instability. Rapid urbanisation is a major driver, significantly increasing demand for residential and commercial properties, especially in Harare and Bulawayo.
This includes a growing demand for affordable housing, which is a key reason for us seeking partners for development opportunities. Local and foreign investors — driven by the widespread Zimbabwean diaspora — are exploring opportunities, particularly in residential and commercial development. The rental market is also highly active, with most rentals in US dollars and high demand for prime properties in urban locations.
However, residential development affordability eludes many homebuyers without access to mortgages in line with their ability to pay. Retail development continues to be attractive, with new lifestyle malls catering to aspirational Zimbabwean tastes. In the industrial space, Zimbabwe faces a chronic shortage of modern industrial and warehousing space. Large users like the tobacco industry and manufacturing players have added over 100 000 square metres of new space to meet their needs.
Offices remain oversupplied in decaying CBDs and undersupplied in decentralised nodes out of town. Harare CBD shows a marked march north, with five commercial banks developing new head offices in the Borrowdale node. The only exception is the mixed-use Afrexim Multi-Commercial Centre being developed in the Avenues. In the hotel industry, Victoria Falls remains the national property development hotspot, with over US$150 million of high-end, mainly hotel development planned.
The rest of the sector shows modest occupancy of 56%, with assets up for sale, including Monomotapa Hotel, Great Zimbabwe Hotel, and Beitbridge Hotel.
MN: How do you plan to navigate the unique challenges of Zimbabwe’s property market, such as regulatory frameworks and economic fluctuations?
BD: At Chas Everitt, we approach each new market with careful research and due diligence. We fully appreciate that Zimbabwe presents unique challenges. Fortunately, there are many legislative and economic parallels between South Africa and Zimbabwe, and we will bring our valuable learnings and experience from operating within the South African property sector to the table. Our strategy involves collaborating closely with local partners who deeply understand the local landscape and regulatory environment. We intend to engage proactively with the relevant authorities to ensure compliance with local regulations from day one and bring robust risk management practices and client solutions to the table to drive our North Star — our vision — which is “to be the choice” for sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, and leading estate agents.
In addition, we study nodal development opportunities such as special economic zones and council local development plans to cherry-pick opportunities. Look at how ED Mnangagwa Drive has transformed in five years. We believe the fluctuations can be managed by appropriate financial structures, with investors focused on a long-term growing Zimbabwe.
MN: How important is the property sector to an economy?
BD: Real estate is a well-known economic multiplier investment. For every US$10 million spent on creating assets, jobs are created upstream in brick manufacturing, skilled artisan employment, and demand for furniture and white goods for the completed units. The created assets pay rates and taxes, thus adding to the revenue base of the country and providing the fixed infrastructure where formal jobs are created. While we do not have a Zimbabwean statistic, in markets such as the United States, we see a 3:1 multiplier.
MN: Lastly, will Chas Everitt International Property Group be operating across the country? If not, which cities will you be operating in?
BD: Our goal is broad representation across Zimbabwe in all active or developing markets, with local representatives being able to tap into centralised operations and support hubs, freeing our agents to focus on building relationships with clients.
