African real estate: Brussels is preparing to host a fair for investors and the diaspora
The Brussels International African Real Estate Exhibition (SIAB) 2026 is preparing to bring together professionals, investors and decision-makers around the opportunities of the African real estate market. The event, which will be held from June 25 to 27, 2026 in Brussels, was officially presented during a press conference marking the launch of its communication campaign.
In front of the press on Friday March 6, the organizers of SIAB 2026 announced the menu for this major African real estate event. The program includes exhibitions, thematic conferences, debates and BtoB and BtoC meetings. Around twenty exhibitors have already been announced, notably from Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Tunisia.
In her welcome remarks, Ms. Yarah Marie Curie, communications manager for SIAB 2026, welcomed the presence of representatives of African embassies and journalists who came to discover the ambitions of this meeting dedicated to African real estate. She recalled that the show aims to create a space for dialogue and meetings between professionals in the sector, investors and political decision-makers around trends and prospects for the real estate market on the continent.
“SIAB 2026 is a unique event that brings together key players in real estate to discuss the challenges, but above all the numerous business opportunities in Africa,” she underlined, adding that this press conference constitutes an opportunity to share the vision and objectives of the organizers.
Presenting the event, Mr. Armand Noumbo, managing director of CAMSI ASBL, insisted on the growing role of African professionals in the growth of the real estate industry. Real estate developers, real estate agents, land developers, financing organizations and construction companies are today helping to structure a sector in full transformation.
The CAMSI association has set itself the mission of promoting this industry internationally, particularly in the BENELUX area. It is with this in mind that the show will be held at the JAVA room in Anderlecht, where African professionals will come to present their offers to the diaspora and investors. The 2026 edition also benefits from the official sponsorship of Burkina Faso.
Several major themes will be at the heart of the conferences, including real estate financing in Africa with a focus on Ivory Coast, land security in Benin, land and real estate taxation in Cameroon and the implementation of off-plan sales (VEFA) in Gabon.
Speaking on the state of the sector, entrepreneur and mortgage broker Alain Mu Muwayi recalled the strategic role of real estate in economic and social development. According to him, the housing issue goes far beyond the simple construction of buildings and directly affects the stability of societies.
He also highlighted the demographic dynamics of the African continent, which is expected to reach 2.5 billion inhabitants by 2050, more than 60% of whom will live in urban areas. This development is leading to a massive demand for housing in many African metropolises, with urban growth estimated at nearly 4% per year in several cities such as Kinshasa, Dakar, Libreville, Douala, Lomé and Abidjan.
This pressure on housing constitutes, according to him, a major opportunity for investors. However, he also recalled certain realities of the African market, in particular issues related to land security and sometimes complex procedures depending on the country. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, the intervention of customary authorities in certain transactions requires increased vigilance to avoid disputes and guarantee the legal security of investments.
These issues will be the subject of in-depth discussions during SIAB 2026, the ambition of which is also to reassure investors and financing institutions about investment conditions in Africa.
Finally, the speaker mentioned several avenues allowing the African diaspora to more easily access financing for the realization of real estate projects on the continent, a theme which will also be at the center of discussions during the show.
Through this initiative, the organizers hope to make the Brussels International African Real Estate Show a strategic crossroads between Africa and its diaspora, serving the development of a booming real estate sector.
Dossou AFFAMA
