Talent Gore
WESTPROP Holdings board chairman, Dr Michael Louis, says they have invested US$9 million in preparatory work to build The Hills Golf Estate, which will create jobs for more than one thousand people.
The group anticipates it to be one of the top golf courses in Africa.
Speaking at the private groundbreaking ceremony of The Hills Golf Estate on Thursday, Dr Louis said the estate is expected to create employment and offer accommodation to 3 000 families.
“As board and chair of the investment committee, I am proud to say that we have invested the tranche of the first $9m to start grading this golf course to be one of the top golf courses in the African continent,” he said.
“This will also create work for nearly a thousand workers and accommodation for 3 000 people.
“We can only do it with Zimbabweans standing with us.
“So I want to welcome the directors of Sunshine (Holdings) who are partners in this development.
“And, as chairman of this committee, I would like to say to the City of Harare, we as a board are committed to the vision of this project.”
He said they were committed to take it to its full completion.
“This is not a dream, this is not just posters, this about something in reality and we want to say to you how proud we are to be your partners in this development,” said Dr Louis.
Architect and master planner, Joan Balaque, said he visited the site for the first time in April 2022.
“From that moment, I saw that it was a big opportunity to develop a resort destination in Harare following international standards and also looking for its own personality,” he said.
“Each project needs to be different and this is what we tried here.
“We have 127 hectares, 82 of these are dedicated to the golf designers and our mission has been to create the vision to bring to life through the master planning; the roads, landscape, the plots.”
Balaque said they were starting to design some of the premium villas, the access gates and all the buildings.
“So, in total, this is an estate that will include more or less close to 900 residential units,” he said.
“Some of them will be single buildings, lots of apartments but we will also have private residences and a five-star hotel and we will help to position the destination internationally.”