Property reform sparks construction hope

66

Leonita Mhishi

FOR years, Zimbabwe’s construc­tion sector has operated like a builder trying to erect a modern skyscraper on a shaky foundation. Devel­opers built houses without certainty over ownership. Banks hesitated to lend. Buy­ers feared fraud. Families kept dog-eared title deeds in metal trunks, praying the papers were genuine. In some suburbs, two people claimed ownership of the same stand. In others, land barons thrived in the cracks of weak record keeping.

That is why government’s new na­tionwide Title Deeds Validation and Se­curitisation Programme could become one of the most economically significant reforms Zimbabwe has seen in years. Beyond the legal jargon and statutory in­struments lies something deeply human: trust.

Trust is the invisible cement of every successful economy. Without it, people do not invest, banks do not lend, and in­dustries do not grow.

Zimbabwe’s property market has long suffered from historical complexi­ties. The country’s land history — from colonial dispossession to post-indepen­dence land reform — left scars, uncer­tainty and administrative complications that still affect the economy today.

Now, the government says every ex­isting title deed must be validated and converted into a securitised digital deed within two years under Statutory In­strument 76 of 2025. The stated goal is to reduce fraud, duplication and loss of records while modernising the Deeds Registry.

At first glance, this may appear like a technical legal exercise confined to con­veyancers and property lawyers. It is not. It has direct implications for bricklayers in Budiriro, cement suppliers in Msasa, banks in Harare’s CBD and ordinary Zimbabweans trying to build homes one room at a time.

Construction does not thrive merely because cement is available. It thrives when confidence exists.

Across Zimbabwe, thousands of res­idential projects stall midway because owners cannot secure financing. Banks often demand collateral. Yet many Zim­babweans, particularly beneficiaries of land reform or holders of outdated paper­work, struggle to leverage their property because ownership documentation is un­clear, disputed or difficult to verify.

A house without a secure title be­comes emotionally valuable but econom­ically “dead capital”.

Economists worldwide have long ar­gued that formal property rights unlock productivity. When land ownership is secure and verifiable, it becomes easier to borrow, invest, insure, and transfer wealth across generations.

This is where the government’s pro­gramme could reshape Zimbabwe’s con­struction sector in profound ways.

Imagine a young couple in Ruwa holding validated digital title deeds accepted by banks without hesitation. Imagine a contractor in Gweru winning more housing projects because clients can finally access mortgages. Imag­ine diaspora Zimbabweans investing in apartments in Harare without fear of fraudulent sellers or duplicated owner­ship documents.

That confidence changes everything.

Already, government officials say the programme aims to strengthen the integ­rity of the national Deeds Registry while improving the efficiency of property transactions.

For the construction industry, effi­ciency is not a luxury. It is oxygen.

Zimbabwe’s housing backlog re­mains enormous. Various estimates over the years have placed the national housing deficit above one million units. Population growth, urban migration and the rise of informal settlements continue to increase pressure on housing delivery. Yet the pace of formal housing develop­ment remains too slow.

One major reason is financing. Devel­opers frequently complain about limited long-term capital. Banks, meanwhile, complain about risk exposure. A func­tioning property market reduces that risk because ownership becomes easier to verify and assets become more bankable.

When title becomes secure, money begins to move. Even small-scale build­ers benefit. In Zimbabwe, many homes are constructed incrementally. Families save for years to add a room, install roofing or plaster walls. Secure prop­erty ownership encourages households to invest more confidently in long-term improvements because they know the property is protected legally.

That means more demand for cement, steel, bricks, roofing sheets, plumbing materials and labour.

In other words, title deeds are not just pieces of paper. They are economic cat­alysts.

There is another important dimension often ignored in economic discussions: dignity.

For many Zimbabweans, owning property represents emotional security after decades of economic turbulence. It is about more than resale value. It is about identity, inheritance and stability.

An elderly widow in Highfield hold­ing verified ownership documents sleeps differently from someone uncertain whether a fraudster could challenge her claim tomorrow. A father building rental cottages in Chitungwiza gains peace of mind knowing his children can inherit secure assets.

Human beings invest more confident­ly when fear disappears.

The digitisation element of the pro­gramme is also significant. Zimbabwe’s reliance on manual record systems has exposed the property sector to fraud, ma­nipulation and document loss for years. Government says the new framework seeks to modernise the system through secure digital records.

Globally, digitised land registries are increasingly viewed as essential infra­structure for economic growth. Research into digital real estate verification sys­tems shows that secure electronic land administration reduces fraud risks and increases transparency in property trans­actions.

Zimbabwe cannot aspire to become an upper-middle-income economy while relying on fragmented paper-based land systems vulnerable to duplication and corruption.

The construction industry especially needs predictability. Investors planning shopping malls, office parks or housing estates want certainty that land own­ership disputes will not erupt midway through projects.

One only needs to look at the painful stories of home buyers who lost sav­ings to fake stands and fraudulent land sales. Entire housing cooperatives have collapsed after disputes over ownership claims were discovered years later. These scandals do not merely hurt individuals; they poison confidence across the entire sector.

Once confidence collapses, even le­gitimate developers suffer.

Yet while the programme offers promise, Zimbabweans will judge it not by announcements but by implementa­tion.

The country has seen ambitious re­forms before that struggled under bu­reaucracy, delays and inadequate public communication. If validation processes become excessively expensive or pain­fully slow, frustration will quickly re­place optimism.

Government must therefore ensure the programme remains accessible to or­dinary citizens, not just wealthy property owners.

The average Zimbabwean already faces multiple financial pressures — school fees, transport costs, rentals and rising living expenses. If deed validation becomes associated with hidden charges and endless queues, public resistance will grow. Transparency will be crucial.

Authorities must also aggressively combat corruption within the system. Any perception that officials can manip­ulate validation outcomes or prioritise politically connected individuals would severely damage public trust. Trust, once broken, is expensive to rebuild.

There is also a wider macroeconomic opportunity here. Zimbabwe’s economy increasingly depends on restoring inves­tor confidence across sectors. Mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism all benefit from strong property rights and reliable institutions.

A functioning land administration system sends an important message to both domestic and international inves­tors: Zimbabwe is serious about mod­ernising its economy.

Already, the government has linked title reforms to broader Vision 2030 am­bitions.

Critics may argue that title reforms alone cannot revive the economy. They are correct. Zimbabwe still faces curren­cy instability, infrastructure deficits and financing challenges. But secure proper­ty rights create the platform upon which other economic activities grow.

No serious construction boom occurs in an environment of uncertainty.

The symbolism also matters. Con­struction is one of the most visible indi­cators of economic confidence. When cranes rise, jobs emerge. Hardware shops expand. Transport operators move ma­terials. Informal traders feed workers on building sites. Entire value chains awak­en.

Construction has one of the strongest multiplier effects in any economy. A sin­gle housing development can support engineers, electricians, welders, paint­ers, architects, transporters and security companies simultaneously. In a country battling unemployment pressures, stimu­lating construction activity carries enor­mous social importance.

Zimbabweans understand this in­stinctively. That is why building remains deeply aspirational culturally. Even during economic hardship, families con­tinue moulding bricks, buying window frames and slowly developing stands over years.

Property remains one of the few in­vestments many Zimbabweans still trust emotionally. This new title deeds pro­gramme therefore arrives at a critical mo­ment. If implemented properly, it could inject something the economy desperate­ly needs: certainty.

And certainty builds nations.

The ordinary man laying bricks in Kuwadzana may never read Statutory In­strument 76 of 2025. The woman selling cement in Mbare may not understand se­curitised deeds. But both understand se­curity. Both understand the importance of knowing something truly belongs to you.

Ultimately, Zimbabwe’s construc­tion sector does not merely need more buildings. It needs stronger foundations of confidence, legality and trust.

Because before a nation builds up­ward, it must first build certainty beneath its feet.

Mhishi is the principal registered estate agent at House of Stone Prop­erties and can be reached at +263 772 329 569 or via email at leonita@hsp. co.zw or www.hsp.co.zw