Goodlife Group Zambia has declared its interest to sign a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with the University of Zambia (UNZA) to construct new campus hostels.
Speaking in an interview with Lusaka Star, Goodlife Group Zambia CEO, Shawn Kabemba said,the company identified the project as a response to growing demand for student housing, with many UNZA students currently relying on off-campus boarding houses.
“This is more than a social project, It has more of an educational and social impact than it being purely commercial profit,” Mr. Kabemba added.
Kabemba stated that while the project presents an investment opportunity, it is also aimed at addressing student accommodation shortages and improving student safety.
He further highlighted that the company’s business model will rely on student rental payments, with accommodation fees expected to remain within the range currently charged by boarding houses surrounding UNZA.
Kabemba noted that the development will include amenities such as free Wi-Fi, recreational facilities and other services intended to create what he described as a student residential community on campus.
“We are not going to be charging exorbitant fees for students, It is basically going to be around what they are currently paying in these boarding houses,” Mr. Kabemba said.
He further said that groundbreaking works are expected within the next 60 to 90 days, while construction is projected to take 24 months after commencement.
Meanwhile, The University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) Vice President, Jemimah Mwaba has welcomed the project, saying student leaders had long advocated for solutions to the institution’s accommodation challenges.
Mwaba said the project would help expand accommodation capacity and ease pressure on students seeking housing off campus.
“As UNZASU, we are happy about this development, we had been pushing for it for a very long time, and we are glad that it has come to pass,” Mwaba said.
She added that the project forms part of broader efforts to address accommodation deficits at UNZA, where student demand for housing continues to exceed available bed spaces.