By ZBC Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN businessman Mr Kenneth Sharpe was on Friday awarded the Forbes Best of Africa Award’s Innovative CEO of the Year Award.
The Forbes Best of Africa Awards are traditionally held annually in connection with the Best of Africa event held in New York City during the United Nations General Award (UNGA) meetings to highlight business personalities with a record of creating and building global businesses that have made far-reaching and positive contributions to the development of Africa.
The event was, however, held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking in a statement after receiving the award which coincided with their 13th anniversary the West Properties chairperson said his company is committed to rebuilding Zimbabwe in line with Vision 2030.
“I am grateful for the recognition. WPC’s business model is premised around fulfilling the needs of customers through the role of master planner, financier and developer of appropriately designed, sustainably built residential and commercial properties within the Greater Harare Area,” he said.
“Our company envisages the simultaneous development of multiple projects across the city, through the systemization and standardization of the property development process, together with the application of the latest technology and cost-saving methodologies and the maintenance of the relationships with service providers along the planning, development and funding value chain.
“WPC’s success has been driven by the many satisfied customers who have purchased our properties through our approach to the infrastructural development of prime land banks that have been acquired, planned, subdivided, marketed and sold.”
Established in 2007 by Mr Sharpe and his partner Oleksandr Sheremet, the company is at the forefront of property development in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Together with his partner, they started investing and buying properties in Zimbabwe acquiring and starting several companies including partnering with the City of Harare in a PPP.
“Today we are the largest privately owned property development company and have a land bank and pipeline that will outlive our lifetime and generations after,” said Sharpe.
“To date well over 2300 serviced, surveyed and titled residential stands have been developed comprising in essence brand new communities within Harare, with all the required municipal services.
“The majority of our client’s properties now accommodate substantial middle to high-income homes which have all complied with the City of Harare municipal by-laws to the highest standard. We have implemented a strategic plan of creating real estate valued in excess of US$500 million and have commenced with project planning and infrastructural development of landbanks.”
WPC majors in the super-structure development of both residential and commercial properties and significant strides have been made with projects in their portfolio completed whilst others are currently under development.
Some of the notable projects West Properties has undertaken include the Kuwadzana extension housing project which was of approximately 4500 residential homes.
Mainway Meadows, infrastructural development of 168HA in Waterfalls, West Properties town planned, subdivided, marketed and sold well over 2300 serviced, surveyed and titled residential stands.
In the pipeline remains the Mall of Zimbabwe mega project which is set to be a positive drive-in business and infrastructure in the country.
