HARARE — International hospitality group Hilton is set to mark its debut in Zimbabwe with the development of a Hilton Garden Inn at the Highland Park precinct in Harare, anchoring an expanding commercial and hospitality pipeline driven by property developer Terrace Africa.
The greenfield development, slated to begin construction within the next three months, targets completion in late 2028 or early 2029 with an estimated 30-month build timeline. The move comes as Zimbabwe’s tourism and hospitality sector experiences renewed momentum, supported by an 11% increase in tourism receipts during the first quarter of the year.
Speaking at the ZimReal Property Investment Forum, Terrace Africa Managing Director Brett Abrahamse confirmed that the developer has two hospitality assets in its medium-term pipeline and recently closed negotiations with Hilton after a 13-month process.
“We are bringing in a new hotel to the market. We signed a few weeks ago with Hilton and it’s going to be a really magnificent building coming to Highland Park, Harare,” Abrahamse said.
The transaction marks a critical milestone for Harare’s commercial property landscape, which has faced a protracted drought in internationally branded greenfield hotel deliveries.
“I know there’s a couple in the ground, but there hasn’t been a new branded hotel finished in Harare that started and finished in 40 years,” Abrahamse noted, pointing to the delivery of the Harare Sheraton in 1985 as the last major development of its scale.
Hilton’s Head of Development for the Middle East and Africa noted that the Garden Inn brand—operating over 1,100 properties across 65 countries—serves as the primary growth vehicle for the group’s African footprint.
“Zimbabwe was one country that was missing. Harare, a capital city, we’ve never been able to secure a deal before and we’re super happy to bring this Hilton Garden Inn to the city,” the executive said. “We’re super excited… and introduce our new Hilton Garden Inn that will hopefully be open in the next two and a half years.”
Positioned in the upscale select-service segment, the Highland Park development will feature standard room footprints between 24 and 28 square metres, rooftop amenities, and integrated conferencing facilities, plugging directly into Hilton’s global distribution network and 260-million-member loyalty program.
Institutional Capital Anchors Mixed-Use Expansion
The hospitality asset anchors a wider mixed-use commercial expansion by Terrace Africa, extending approximately 600 metres from the initial Highland Park retail phase as the node positions itself as an alternative corporate hub.
Financial services group Nedbank has acquired land within the precinct to develop a standalone head office. The corporate build is targeting a minimum five-star Green Star rating with delivery expected within 24 months.
Alongside the banking group, the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) has secured a site within the development to house its new national investment centre and operational headquarters. Subsequent development phases across the precinct are scheduled to incorporate premium residential units, expanded conference facilities, and supplementary retail infrastructure.
The influx of banking, regulatory, and international hospitality capital into Highland Park underlines ongoing institutional asset reallocation into prime commercial nodes, matching demand for modern, ESG-compliant commercial stock and business travel infrastructure in the capital.
