Atterbury Property Holdings, owned by the JSE-listed Atterbury Group is reported to be in talks to sell the iconic Grove Mall of Namibia to Zimbabwean investors, mainly pension funds, keen to invest in the regional market to increase value for their stakeholders.
According to The Herald, Stratus Capital Partners and Bard Santner Markets are brokering the N$1.8 billion deal.
Bard is the lead financial adviser, while the Chikuni Shenjere-Mutiswa-led Stratus Capital Partners brokered the deal.
Bard is led by banker Senziwani Sikhosana, who has over two decades experience in banking, investment, property, and capital and money markets dealings.
Sikhosana works with a Zimbabwean business consortium, which includes Tatenda Hungwe, Alfred Mthimkhulu and international finance expert Vinod Bussawah from Mauritius.
It develops prime mixed-use, commercial, retail and industrial properties and from its South African base, has developed many properties in South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe worth billions.
Sikhosana was quoted saying: “We are not able to discuss the deal in the media at the moment, but we will let you know when we are ready to talk soon.”
The current Pension and Provident Funds Act in Zimbabwe is being amended through the Pensions and Provident Funds Bill to modernise and strengthen the regulation and supervision of the pensions industry, while giving them flexibility to invest in other markets.
There has been very little legislation on the subject of pensions law with the current law statute having been promulgated in 1976.
Until relatively recently, Zimbabwean pensions funds invested primarily in stocks and bonds, often using a liability-matching strategy.
Now they increasingly invest in a variety of asset classes, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and securities to hedge inflation.
Built by Howard and Chamberlain Architects through investment from Atterbury Property, Attacq Ltd, The Frontier Property Trust and Demushuwa Property Developer (Pty) Ltd, The Grove is located in the Hilltop mixed-use estate in Kleine Kuppe and is largest shopping centre ever to be developed in Namibia, measuring 52 000 square metres, at a cost of N$1 billion.
