A new real estate investment is offering Kenyan investors an opportunity to diversify their portfolio beyond the country’s borders into the United Kingdom’s (UK) real estate starting from approximately US$27,000 (about KSh3.5 million).
The opportunity comes as Kenyan investors gain access to a growing range of international investment opportunities, including the Dangote Petroleum Refinery IPO, which the Capital Markets Authority has approved for participation by eligible Kenyan investors through a Global Depository Receipt structure.
Dubai-based Tokinvest is introducing an investment opportunity offering exposure to the UK residential real estate. The offering is linked to Great Hampton Street Works, an £8.55 million historic property in Birmingham comprising 29 fully tenanted apartments.
According to Tokinvest, eligible investors can participate from approximately US$25,000, with contractual economic rights linked to rental income and potential proceeds from a future sale of the property.
Worth of investment
The property has an estimated net rental yield of about 4 percent a year, while forecasts cited by Tokinvest project residential property price growth in Birmingham of approximately 4.5 per cent annually between 2026 and 2030.
For Kenyan investors, the proposition provides potential diversification across geographies, asset classes and currencies. Exposure to sterling may also provide an alternative currency position alongside Kenyan shilling-denominated assets.
However, exchange-rate movements can affect investment returns, with a stronger or weaker pound potentially increasing or reducing returns when converted back into shillings.
“We are seeing a growing awareness that African investors do not have to limit their wealth to their home markets. The recent Dangote opportunity is a good example of Kenyan investors gaining access to a major investment outside Kenya. UK real estate offers another route, this time into an established property market and a major international currency,” said Mark Pearson, Managing Director of Baron & Cabot.
For his part, Michael Leighton, Founder and Chief Executive Office of API Global, noted that, “For investors in Kenya, access to international real estate has traditionally involved significant capital requirements, complex structures and considerable barriers to entry. We believe the opportunity presented by Great Hampton Street Works demonstrates how technology and cross-border investment infrastructure can make established real estate markets more accessible to eligible investors. Birmingham is an established UK residential market with strong underlying fundamentals, and we are pleased to bring this opportunity to investors in Kenya as interest in global diversification continues to grow.”
Who is eligible for the UK real estate investment opportunity?
The investment is available to eligible professionals and high-net-worth investors, subject to applicable regulations, compliance requirements and suitability assessments.
While digital infrastructure is used to facilitate access to the investment, the underlying proposition is exposure to the real estate asset, rental income and potential long-term capital appreciation.
For investors considering portfolio positioning ahead of the 2027 General Election, the opportunity highlights the potential role of international assets in diversification. Such investments would complement, rather than necessarily replace, exposure to Kenyan assets, while introducing links to other economies and currencies.
A Nairobi investor briefing is scheduled for October 13 at the Hyatt Regency Nairobi, where prospective investors will receive information on the BREI investment opportunity, the underlying property, projected returns, associated risks and participation requirements.
The opportunity is open to professional and high-net-worth investors in Kenya and other eligible markets, subject to applicable regulations, eligibility criteria and compliance checks.
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