The last years the stress in Europe grew by another margin. Many think about alternatives. First to go to vacation when much is closed vor covid. Later some start thinking twice if they want to go back that early. And then they think about buying. So it happens also in Zanzibar.
Author: Olaf Zanger; 23.03.2022
Introducing Zanzibar
Zanzibar is an autonomous region of Tanzania. It is roughly two hours to cross by car north to south. There is a lot of development in the north end and on the east coast. Tanzania grows currently by 6% year over year. The Tanzanian Shilling is pegged to the US$ to a fix rate.
Buying land in Zanzibar
It is possible to buy ground in Zanzibar through a Zanzibari company that can be wholly owned by a European. The usual schema is to have a "lease" contract with the government and buy the right to this lease contract from the current "owner".
Current development
Currently the prices go up every year. There is a lot of development of smaller and bigger Hotels and Guest houses. The variety is huge from 3, 4 rooms to 50 rooms.
Most of the buyers, that we are talking with, want to live in Zanzibar. Though instead of building a "house" they build a guesthouse, in which they may have one or two rooms when they are around. Living and eating happens mostly outside anyways. There will be employees cooking and doing the housework. So the difference of construction and needed space is not big if you are there alone with your family and friends or if you are there with family and some "guests" helping to finance everything and giving a fallback in case one has to stay or go back to Europe. Also a potential selling price is better for such.
The wonderful sides of Zanzibar's east coast
But now, why Zanzibar:
12 months warm: One doesn’t need a heating, ever. So no oil or gas dependency, except for some transport.
White, supersoft sand beach, turquois waters: This is just as cool as it gets.
Long beach: Not only coves. This thing is as long as you want. For jogging, e-bikeing for hours, …
Ground water: One digs a hole for 560€ and there you go with freshwater.
Sun for all the energy you need: Every day enough sun to solar-pv power all your needs. Even in rain season it will be sunny for quite some hours. It just needs a nice battery and a generator playing along.
Pick food 12 months: In any case of trouble, here the food grows all year long. Put a cassava seed into the ground and eat it some months later. Spices grow jungle style. There is a vast variety of fruit vegetable and spices. Quite some of the fruit grows all year round.
Timezone close to Europe: just 2 hours from zentral European time. Bali is 6 hours, etc.
The pole-pole culture: This is the best of Jamaica, Hawaii or the other caribean places, just in our timezones.
Kite lagoon: Kite season is Dez.-Feb. and June-Sept. Larger kites (up to 17qm for 85kg) adviced.
A really nice village in the center: Paje is just it. What can you say. The amount of café’s and restaurants in Paje and Jambiani is just great. Bwejuu also has already 16 Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés on a 1 km stretch
Big expat community: There are enough white people here to also find specific interest people. Many are hear all year round (125 children in intl. school in Jambiani).
We have connection to the community: White and local including to the Paje deputy major.
Mzungos (white people) on self-growth path: Many white people come here for spiritual reasons (finding a place with little covid).
There is an attractive hinterland: just a short flight away is all the nature one wants. Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Serengeti, trecking with Gorillas, etc.
Welcome culture in Hotels/Guesthouses: One can use the Restaurants in all the hotels. That provides such nice life-culture of going out and going around.
All the party you ever want: A party every night of the week. Soo much that one is happy when the ramadan starts. Who would have thought that. Chance to add a 80s party.
Many small Guesthouses/Hotels: That ensures a variety of different (Hotel-)cultures and guests overall.
All close together: It is a breeze to just go from place to place along the beach. Closer together in Paje, quite some in Jambiani and prone to develop in Bwejuu too (already 9 places between LEO and SHANGANI).
Overall, don't be mistaken. Tanzania is a development country. Zanzibar is "Africa -- full on". So most of the things are not how a european is used to. At the same time one doesn't need a lot of what we think we need in Europe.
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