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Ghana To Host 2026 Africa Real Estate Festival, bridging investment, policy, and culture
The Africa Real Estate Festival (AREF) is set to return in 2026 with an ambitious vision to redefine urban living across the continent.
Scheduled for April 18-19, 2026, in Accra, the festival will convene under the theme: “Innovation Meets Identity: Designing Africa’s Next Living Experience – Positioning Real Estate as More Than Just Property.”
Speaking at the press launch in Accra on Friday, January 16, 2026, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AREF, Desmond Oteng, described the festival as a movement rather than a one-off event, driven by the urgency of Africa’s rapid urbanisation.
“Africa is urbanising faster than any other continent. By 2050, over 1.4 billion Africans will live in cities, yet our real estate conversations still focus on buildings and prices instead of people, quality of life, and sustainability,” he said.
According to him, AREF seeks to reposition real estate as a catalyst for economic transformation, climate responsibility, cultural identity, youth empowerment, diaspora engagement, and inclusive urban growth.
The maiden festival will be held in Accra on April 18 and 19, 2026, and will convene policymakers, developers, investors, architects, planners, financial institutions, prop-tech innovators, and diaspora stakeholders from across Africa and the global African community.
Although hosted in Ghana, he stressed that AREF is a continental platform with plans to expand into other African countries.
“Our focus is intentional city building. Africa does not need more unplanned cities or gated silos. We need connected communities and functional urban ecosystems that work for people,” he noted.
The festival seeks to position real estate as a catalyst for cultural expression, technological innovation, and sustainable economic growth.
He went on to disclose that the event will bring together over 1,500 delegates, over 100 exhibitors from more than 30 countries, and over 50 renowned speakers, alongside significant government and diaspora representation.
International interest in AREF was underscored by the presence of Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana, who announced Barbados’ participation in the festival. She described AREF as a practical bridge between diplomacy, investment, and sustainable development.
“Real estate today is no longer just about property ownership. It is about the full ecosystem, capital flows, lifestyle assets, and long-term value creation,” she said.
She highlighted Barbados’ experience, where real estate contributes about 18 percent of national GDP, supported by political stability, clear legal frameworks, progressive tax policies, and strong community education.
According to her, the Barbadian model offers valuable lessons for Ghana and other African coastal states, particularly in tourism-linked real estate, coastal conservation, health tourism, retirement living, and sustainable community planning.
The High Commissioner also revealed growing interest among Barbadians and Caribbean investors in Ghana, noting a sharp increase in travel and enquiries about property ownership following visits to the country.
From the government perspective, the Deputy Director of Diaspora Affairs Office of the President, Nana Kyere Agyemang, outlined Ghana’s evolving strategy to deepen diaspora participation in the real estate sector. He explained that the focus is shifting from informal remittances to structured investment and asset creation.
“Our objective is to move beyond remittances for consumption and toward remittances for asset building,” he said.
He identified three key priority areas: capital market integration through real estate investment trusts and diaspora bonds, improved regulatory transparency through digital land governance, and sustainability under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
He also noted plans to incentivise commercial real estate developments that serve as logistics hubs for intra-African trade.
Mr. Agyemang commended the AREF team for the speed and commitment with which the initiative has been executed, reaffirming government openness to partnerships that strengthen Ghana’s real estate ecosystem.
AREF’s unique model bridges real estate with sectors such as technology, finance, tourism, logistics, media, and culture, creating a shared platform for investment and partnership.
The festival will offer a curated, multi-faceted programme designed to inform, connect, and inspire.
Core pillars include the strategic Investment & Policy Conference; the transactional hub of the Real Estate Exhibition and Diaspora Investment Pavilion; the aspirational Luxury Experience & Lifestyle Showcase; and the forward-looking Cultural Festival & Innovation Matchmaking segment.
This will be complemented by a series of interactive workshops, demonstrations, and structured networking forums, ensuring a comprehensive and actionable experience for all participants.
With a target of generating over $200 million in investment leads, AREF aims to boost investor confidence and foster cross-sector deals. The event will also produce The AREF Report 2026, a data-driven publication on real estate trends and opportunities across Africa.
Beyond 2026, AREF plans to expand into a continent-wide circuit, hosting regional editions to promote sustainable urban innovation, economic collaboration, and cultural celebration.
Organised by the pan-African organisation Africa Real Estate Festival, the event is supported by year-round initiatives in research, PropTech acceleration, policy advocacy, and networking.
About Africa Real Estate Festival (AREF)
AREF is a pan-African platform dedicated to empowering the real estate ecosystem through events, research, innovation programs, and partnerships.
It connects all stakeholders across the value chain to drive sustainable growth, investment, and culturally grounded development in Africa’s built environment.
High level speakers at the forum include; H. E. Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland Barbados, High Commissioner to Ghana,
Member of Parliament for Kpandai constituency, Matthew Nyindam, has argued that he would have defeated the National Democratic Congress candidate if a rerun election had been held, insisting that his loss was a battle against the power of the state rather than a fair contest.
Nyindam explained that his legal challenge to the 2024 parliamentary election was based on irregularities in four polling stations.
He noted that his team expected the court to address those specific concerns, not to order a fresh election across the entire constituency.
According to him, the decision to rerun the election confirmed what he described as a long standing pattern of unfair conduct by the NDC in Kpandai.
He added that he anticipated the chance to appeal the ruling but was surprised when Parliament later declared his seat vacant.
Nyindam stressed that the declaration of the seat left him feeling unfairly treated.
He maintained that he won the election clearly and believed the process that followed was aimed at removing him from Parliament prematurely.
He further stated that the situation turned into a contest between himself and the state.
He explained that running against the full weight of government made the election difficult, as ministers, MPs, chief executives and other officials were actively involved in campaigning, with resources flowing into the constituency.
Despite these challenges, Nyindam expressed confidence in his political strength, stating that under normal circumstances he would have beaten his opponent comfortably.
He added that he ultimately left the outcome in the hands of God, believing that destiny would determine whether he returned to Parliament.
Nyindam concluded that although the experience was painful, he believes it will serve a greater purpose in his political journey.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, has admitted that the party did not achieve its desired results in the Ashanti Region during the 2024 general election but maintained that the region remained the party’s strongest support base.
Addressing the media after a post election review, Wontumi said the party quickly set up a regional committee to investigate the reasons for the loss and to propose solutions.
He explained that a subcommittee was tasked to study what went wrong and recommend ways to improve future performance.
According to him, the committee’s report highlighted both the party’s mistakes and areas that need improvement.
He noted that the party has taken lessons from the findings and is ready to make changes.
Wontumi stressed that he learns quickly and is committed to applying the recommendations.
He emphasized that despite not meeting expectations, votes from the Ashanti Region significantly contributed to the party’s overall national performance.
He explained that the region pushed the party to the final figures it recorded in the 2024 election and still produced more votes than any other region.
Wontumi added that a post mortem of the results would show that the Ashanti Region performed better than others, even though the party fell short of its target.
He described the region’s effort as commendable.
He said the party now understands what voters in the Ashanti Region expect and assured them that the NPP will engage them better and work to meet their needs in future elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
