Kenyan investors are being presented with opportunities to diversify their portfolios by investing in UK real estate, with a new offering providing access to eligible investors from approximately $27,000. This development comes as Kenyan investors gain access to a growing range of international investment opportunities. The Capital Markets Authority has approved the Dangote Petroleum Refinery IPO for participation by eligible Kenyan investors through a Global Depository Receipt structure.
Dubai-based Tokinvest is introducing an investment opportunity offering exposure to UK residential real estate, linked to Great Hampton Street Works, an £8.55 million historic property in Birmingham comprising 29 fully tenanted apartments. Eligible investors can participate from approximately $25,000, with contractual economic rights linked to rental income and potential proceeds from a future sale of the property. The property has an estimated net rental yield of about 4 percent a year.
Forecasts cited by Tokinvest project residential property price growth in Birmingham of approximately 4.5 per cent annually between 2026 and 2030. For Kenyan investors, the proposition provides potential diversification across geographies, asset classes and currencies. Exposure to sterling may also provide an alternative currency position alongside Kenyan shilling-denominated assets. However, exchange-rate movements can affect investment returns.
Mark Pearson, Managing Director of Baron & Cabot, notes that African investors do not have to limit their wealth to their home markets. He cites the recent Dangote opportunity as an example of Kenyan investors gaining access to a major investment outside Kenya. UK real estate offers another route, this time into an established property market and a major international currency.
Michael Leighton, Founder and Chief Executive Office of API Global, highlights that access to international real estate has traditionally involved significant capital requirements, complex structures and considerable barriers to entry. The opportunity presented by Great Hampton Street Works demonstrates how technology and cross-border investment infrastructure can make established real estate markets more accessible to eligible investors.
The investment is available to eligible professionals and high-net-worth investors, subject to applicable regulations, compliance requirements and suitability assessments. A Nairobi investor briefing is scheduled for 13 October at the Hyatt Regency Nairobi, where prospective investors will receive information on the BREI investment opportunity, the underlying property, projected returns, associated risks and participation requirements.
The opportunity is open to professional and high-net-worth investors in Kenya and other eligible markets, subject to applicable regulations, eligibility criteria and compliance checks. For investors considering portfolio positioning ahead of the 2027 General Election, the opportunity highlights the potential role of international assets in diversification. Such investments would complement, rather than necessarily replace, exposure to Kenyan assets.
Key points
- Kenyan investors can access UK real estate investments from approximately $27,000.
- The investment opportunity provides potential diversification across geographies, asset classes and currencies.
- A Nairobi investor briefing is scheduled for 13 October at the Hyatt Regency Nairobi.
