Hilton Sets Foot in Zimbabwe as South African Developer Bets Big on Harare

Zimbabwe’s hospitality and property sectors are set for a major boost after global hotel group Hilton signed an agreement to open its first hotel in the country, with South African property developer Brett Abrahamse behind the project.

Hilton is expected to open a 140-room Hilton Garden Inn in Harare’s Highlands suburb in early 2029, marking the international hotel giant’s first branded property in Zimbabwe.

The deal, announced at the ZimReal property investment forum on August 26, will see the hotel become a major anchor of the Highlands Precinct, a mixed-use development being undertaken by Abrahamse’s Terrace Africa.

The development is planned as an integrated urban destination featuring offices, retail outlets, restaurants, residences, hospitality facilities and conference spaces.

The hotel itself is expected to include an all-day restaurant, terrace, lobby café and bar, gym, swimming pool and meeting facilities.

Hilton’s Middle East and Africa chief development officer Carlos Khneisser said

Zimbabwe’s growing international visitor numbers and Harare’s position as a commercial and diplomatic hub made the market attractive.

Zimbabwe recorded more than 1.7 million international arrivals in 2025, according to Hilton.

The investment comes at a time when Harare has faced a shortage of modern, high-quality hotel accommodation, particularly for business travellers, diplomats and international visitors.

From construction sites to property development

The South African entrepreneur founded Terrace Africa in 2011 when he was just 28 years old, after gaining experience in the property industry and investment sector.

His interest in property began early. His father and uncle were quantity surveyors, exposing him to construction and development from childhood.

Abrahamse studied for a B.Comm Honours degree in financial analysis at Stellenbosch University before completing a property development programme at the University of Cape Town’s business school.

He subsequently worked for Liberty Properties and STANLIB, where he was involved in business development and property investments.

His early career also took him across the region, with business opportunities in countries including Zambia, Botswana, Mauritius and Mozambique.

By the time the property mogul was in his late 20s, he had already been involved in significant property transactions, including work linked to the listing of Letlole La Rona on the Botswana Stock Exchange.

In 2011, he left formal employment and launched Terrace Africa alongside API Events.

What began largely as a property advisory business gradually evolved into a developer and property management company, with operations spanning several Southern African markets.

Today, Terrace Africa says it has delivered projects worth more than US$230 million across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa.

Why Zimbabwe?

Abrahamse’s decision to make Zimbabwe a major part of his property strategy came at a time when many investors remained cautious about the country's economic environment.

Terrace Africa opened Village Walk in Harare in 2017, and Abrahamse says the development delivered some of the strongest returns within the company's regional portfolio.

The company subsequently deepened its Zimbabwe operations, obtaining approval from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency in 2020 to facilitate offshore capital investment into the country.

His approach has been based on patience and a long-term view of African markets.That strategy has now culminated in one of the country's most significant hospitality announcements in recent years.

The REIT that changed Zimbabwe's property market

Abrahamse's influence in Zimbabwe extends beyond shopping centres and hotels.

In November 2022, Terrace Africa listed the Tigere Property Fund on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, creating the country's first exchange-traded real estate investment trust.

The REIT provided investors, including pension funds, with an alternative way of gaining exposure to commercial property without having to purchase and manage buildings directly.

Tigere initially had a net asset value of about US$22.2 million and has since expanded its portfolio to include properties such as Highland Park, Chinamano Corner and Greenfields Shopping Complex.

The fund's strategy has included paying quarterly dividends in hard currency while expanding its property portfolio.

The Highlands project

The Hilton agreement is expected to give further momentum to the Highlands Precinct, a project Terrace Africa has been developing for several years.

The precinct is designed around the idea of bringing different aspects of urban life into one interconnected development.

The Hilton Garden Inn will serve as its international hospitality anchor, potentially helping attract additional businesses, visitors and investment into the area.

He has described the Highlands Precinct as one of the projects developers dream of building, while saying the partnership with Hilton represents a defining milestone for the development.