Immaculate living spaces embedded in well-kept tropical gardens, clean water from the tap. High-speed glass fibre internet, top-notch safety for you and your family. Zanzibar, notoriously short of decent apartments and houses - especially at affordable rates - has a new dream-community on the doorstep of Zanzibar City.
Recently the first two of an initial 11 shining white apartment blocks have been completed, with the rest being finished over the coming weeks and months. Each of the four-storey blocks contains 16 to 24 apartments – from modern studios to small two and three bedroom units. Rents start at TZS 275,000 ($120).
Also available for rent are a good number of spacious townhouses of two to six bedrooms with comfy amenities such as window shutters, cosy front porches and modernly tiled, state-of-the art bathrooms.
“Imagine to come home to a clean, welcoming environment with 24/7 service of water, electricity and top security in a lovely, cosmopolitan neighbourhood where your children can play safely, you can completely unwind – and even the corridors are being cleaned for you”, says Sebastian Dietzold, who founded and developed Fumba Town with his wife Katrin. “According to our real estate research there is no better value for money anywhere in Zanzibar”, adds Tobias Dietzold. The two brothers - both engineers - are turning Fumba Town from a vision into reality supported by a team of local and international planners and builders.
“Tenants have zero hidden costs” such as for watchmen or gardeners, assures Tobias Dietzold. And a further advantage: If the owner agrees, rent is paid monthly and not months in advance as it is often the case in Zanzibar.
In has been unusually busy in the serene seafront community over the last weeks with pick-ups bringing in furniture, happy new house owners receiving their keys and potential investors coming to view properties. “From the placing of sockets to bedside lamps, every detail requires a thoughtful process”, said designer Katrine Riekstina when showing new owners around. All property is individually owned by private owners but managed by a town management on site. Situated on the shores of the Indian Ocean on the Fumba peninsula, only 15 to 20 minutes drive away from the airport and the capital, the Fumba Town development is a model town for Africa in terms of infrastructure, permaculture principles and innovative building methods.
Some of its rental units are fully furnished, some partly furnished and some may be rented empty to allow for individual styling and decoration. All kitchens have basic
shelving and worktops.
When it comes to modern living, Fumba with its green eco-landscaping, climate-friendly buildings, a daily waste collection and 94 per cent waste recycling is setting new standards. “It is a cosmopolitan community thriving in the equally multicultural society of Zanzibar”, says Sebastian Dietzold. Among the owners of Fumba homes from more than 50 nations are African football stars playing for British teams, Zanzibar-born Omanis, Europeans as well as Tanzanian nationals. Some of them are already or will be living in Fumba themselves, others are renting out. “It’s a mix-and-match situation”, town manager Kristian Bollmann explains. “Some owners offer short-term rentals, some prefer to let long-term. We are flexible and can accommodate almost any personal preference.”
The project stretches over 1.5 kilometres and 150 acres along the western seafront of Fumba with “stunning sunsets guaranteed”, as building engineer Akif El-Mauly puts it.
Fumba Town construction started in 2016. By now, more than 500 residences
have been sold and are being built, making it the fastest-growing urban scheme in Tanzania. Eventually the new town will accomodate over 3000 units, from small apartments to fancy three-storey villas, from maisonettes with a common pool designed for young families (“Moyoni Homes”) to a number of trendy beach duplexes. A commercial centre with an international-brand supermarket, shops and
other amenities is due to open this year. A kindergarten is already in place, an international school in planning, as are bus shuttle services to town. “Fumba Town is for everybody, a mixture of low-cost and upmarket private homes”, sums up CEO Sebastian Dietzold.
