LIYONGO·KENDWA
Sixty leasehold villas within a managed hospitality resort on Zanzibar's north coast.
Rooted in Zanzibar, lived with bare feet
Each day turns up something new: a dhow leaving at first light, the village market, a reef off the nearby island. Come curious; Kendwa rewards it.
The design uses coral stone, makuti and lime plaster across its courtyards, shaded paths and shared spaces, with orientation and deep verandas shaped around shade and the monsoon breeze.
Owners return for three weeks each year. For the remainder, the on-site team manages reservations, housekeeping and the shared spaces.
Five villa types, from Kwetu to Jumba
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Kwetu, Makao, Kaya, Pamoja and Jumba run from a studio villa to three bedrooms. All five share the same material language, construction standard and access to the community's shared operation.
Every villa has more garden than floor: its own plot, its own outdoor room, and from Kaya upward a plunge pool. Kwetu opens at $145,000; Jumba, three bedrooms with a 345–350 m² plot, at $525,000.
Sixty villas, one hospitality operation
On-site management, central reservations and one marketing programme bring the community together as a single hospitality operation. Every villa participates in the rental pool, with three weeks set aside for its owner each year.
A residential community in Kendwa
Liyongo sits within Kendwa itself, set among trees on higher ground and a short walk from the beach, with the village and Zanzibar’s north coast around it.
Kendwa beach, a short walk away
Kendwa remains swimmable through the tide cycle, with beach bars, boats and a lively sunset scene. Liyongo sits a short walk away, set back on higher ground.
One operation
On-site management, reservations and marketing are coordinated across all sixty villas, giving owners and guests one consistent point of contact.
Individually titled
Each villa carries its own leasehold title, with the rental pool governing use and income. When you buy a villa at Liyongo, you own it.
Built from shade and light
Sixty villas follow coral-washed paths and open into courtyards oriented for shade and the monsoon breeze — coral stone, makuti and deep verandas. Two phases: thirty, then thirty. Select any plot for its type, phase and availability.
60
Total Villas
30
Phase 2 - Coming Soon
24
Phase 1 - Available Now
6
Reserved
Pricing note
Prices verified on 31 August 2026, stated in US dollars and exclusive of 15% Zanzibar VAT. Current availability is confirmed at enquiry.
Time moves differently here.
Kendwa sits at the north-west tip of Zanzibar, approximately one hour by road from both the airport and Stone Town. The beach shelves gently and holds its water through the tide cycle, which is why the north coast fills when the east empties.
More about Kendwa
Leasehold title, with every villa in the managed rental pool
Each villa is individually titled and held on leasehold. All sixty participate in the rental pool, which the on-site team operates. Owners take three weeks a year; the villa is let for the remainder.
Sixty villas with phased delivery, first handovers Q4 2028
Construction runs in two phases. Each handover brings completed villas into the operation, with payments tied to build progress. The full schedule sits in the Financial Information Pack.
Delivery and phasing
The people behind Liyongo
Liyongo brings together experience in hospitality, operations, development, construction and design, with relationships in Kendwa built over decades.
Christopher Nash
Founder
Christopher has built a career launching and operating community-focused hospitality brands, combining project-delivery experience with a long-standing interest in how hospitality can serve the place around it.
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Victor Delo
Co-Founder
Victor is the founder of Red Banana Tours and has worked in Tanzanian tourism and hospitality for more than a decade, including roles with Arusha National Park and Kendwa Rocks Hotel.
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Jerry Delo
Community Lead
Jerry has lived in the north of Zanzibar for more than twenty years. His relationships with Kendwa's village leadership, local government, artists, makers and food producers connect Liyongo to the community around it.
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David Kasten
Chief Finance Advisor
David is a travel and hospitality finance leader whose career includes senior roles across the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia Pacific and China.
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Bobby McKenna
Development Lead
Bobby is Managing Partner of Ubunifu, the Zanzibar development practice advising Liyongo on development and sales strategy. Based in Stone Town, Ubunifu develops and advises on design-led hospitality, residential and mixed-use projects along the Swahili coast, from site and concept through to sales and operation.
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Roberto Pelliccia
COO
Roberto brings more than thirty years of international hotel operations and asset-management experience across Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.
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Wannapat (Sompor) Suranant
Interior Styling & Creative Lead
Sompor combines interior styling, construction and renovation experience across hospitality, commercial and residential projects, including projects developed under her own Alt_Coliving & Coworking brand.
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Ahmed Nassor
Lead Contractor
Ahmed is Managing Director of Mazrui Building Contractors, a Zanzibar-based Class 1 contractor established in 1953, with multi-generational experience of building on the island.
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Julian Huang
Lead Architect
Julian leads the design through Cottelier in Chiang Mai, alongside his work as an architecture lecturer and researcher focused on sustainable, community-led design.
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Katrine Kazaura
Lighting Architect
Katrine is an Associate Director at Worktecht Africa with more than two decades of international design experience and a focus on sustainable, energy-efficient lighting.
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Buying property in Zanzibar
How much does a villa at Liyongo cost?
Prices start at $145,000 for Kwetu, a 50 m² studio villa, and reach $525,000 for Jumba, a three-bedroom villa with 161 m² of internal space. Prices are stated in US dollars and exclude Zanzibar's 15% VAT, payable by the purchaser.
Five villa types are available, with plot sizes, internal areas and current availability shown on the Residences page.
How does a managed rental pool work in Zanzibar?
A rental pool brings individually owned properties under one reservations, marketing and operating system. Income and operating costs are handled under the management and rental-pool agreements rather than each owner marketing and managing a villa independently.
Every villa at Liyongo participates in the rental pool. Owners have three weeks of personal use each year; the on-site team operates the villa for the remainder.
What should you check before buying off-plan property in Zanzibar?
Check what is being built, who is responsible for delivery, how the land and title are structured, which approvals are in place, when payments become due and what happens if the programme changes. The drawings, specification, payment schedule, management agreement and completion provisions should tell the same story.
Liyongo is delivered in two phases, with payments tied to build progress and first handovers planned for Winter 2028. The Financial Information Pack carries the detailed schedule and buyer documents.
How do you buy property in Zanzibar as a foreigner?
The process normally moves from enquiry and document review to reservation, the sale agreement, construction-linked payments and registration of the leasehold interest. A buyer should review the title structure, project approvals, payment schedule, management terms and all continuing costs before committing.
At Liyongo, five per cent reserves a villa and is non-refundable. Twenty-five per cent is due on signing, followed by three construction-linked instalments of twenty per cent and a final ten per cent at handover.
Is property in Zanzibar freehold or leasehold?
Property offered to foreign buyers in Zanzibar is generally leasehold rather than freehold. At Liyongo, each villa is sold with a 33-year leasehold which is renewable up to a total 99-year lease - registered under Zanzibar's condominium framework.
Buyers should have the lease and sale agreement independently reviewed before purchase.
Can foreigners buy property in Zanzibar?
Yes. Foreign buyers can acquire registered leasehold interests in qualifying developments under Zanzibar's condominium framework. The lease identifies the property and governs occupation, letting, resale and inheritance.
At Liyongo, each of the sixty villas carries an individual leasehold title and participates in the managed rental pool. Buyers should take independent Zanzibar legal advice before signing a reservation or sale agreement.
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Come for the sunset,
stay for the stories.
Sixty hand-crafted sanctuaries, available off-plan with targeted delivery by Winter 2028. Managed year-round on your behalf to deliver meaningful, sustainable returns - with privileged access to your place in Zanzibar's story.
