News / National
Harare CBD buildings crumble as businesses flee to suburbs
29 May 2025 at 10:15hrs | Views
At least 31 percent of buildings in Harare's central business district (CBD) are in poor condition, the city council has revealed, as a growing number of businesses abandon the area in favour of suburban locations due to worsening service delivery and safety concerns.
The concerning figures were presented during a recent workshop where local authorities under the Harare Metropolitan Province updated Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Charles Tavengwa on their draft master plans.
Principal consultant for the Harare Master Plan project, Mr Trymore Muderere, said the Real Estate and Land Marketing draft showed troubling trends including high office vacancy rates and structural neglect.
"There is a mass exodus of businesses from the central business district, with major companies relocating to suburban areas due to high crime, poor parking and deteriorating services," said Muderere.
"We are also seeing a high office vacancy rate, with 60 percent of office space remaining empty. Furthermore, 31 percent of CBD buildings are in poor condition."
The alarming state of infrastructure follows a 2024 audit which found over 500 buildings in the CBD - including 14 multi-storey structures - to be unsafe and potentially hazardous. Despite these findings, the city has yet to take concrete action against non-compliant property owners.
Residents and urban planners have repeatedly raised concerns over the neglect of inner-city properties, calling on authorities to enforce maintenance bylaws and revamp the ageing infrastructure.
The continued deterioration of the CBD is contributing to urban sprawl, as commercial entities relocate to well-serviced and secure suburban zones such as Borrowdale, Belgravia, and Avondale, accelerating decentralisation.
Urban development experts have urged Harare City Council to prioritise enforcement, revitalize public amenities, and restore investor confidence in the capital's core - or risk total urban decay in what was once the city's economic heartbeat.
The concerning figures were presented during a recent workshop where local authorities under the Harare Metropolitan Province updated Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Charles Tavengwa on their draft master plans.
Principal consultant for the Harare Master Plan project, Mr Trymore Muderere, said the Real Estate and Land Marketing draft showed troubling trends including high office vacancy rates and structural neglect.
"There is a mass exodus of businesses from the central business district, with major companies relocating to suburban areas due to high crime, poor parking and deteriorating services," said Muderere.
"We are also seeing a high office vacancy rate, with 60 percent of office space remaining empty. Furthermore, 31 percent of CBD buildings are in poor condition."
The alarming state of infrastructure follows a 2024 audit which found over 500 buildings in the CBD - including 14 multi-storey structures - to be unsafe and potentially hazardous. Despite these findings, the city has yet to take concrete action against non-compliant property owners.
Residents and urban planners have repeatedly raised concerns over the neglect of inner-city properties, calling on authorities to enforce maintenance bylaws and revamp the ageing infrastructure.
The continued deterioration of the CBD is contributing to urban sprawl, as commercial entities relocate to well-serviced and secure suburban zones such as Borrowdale, Belgravia, and Avondale, accelerating decentralisation.
Urban development experts have urged Harare City Council to prioritise enforcement, revitalize public amenities, and restore investor confidence in the capital's core - or risk total urban decay in what was once the city's economic heartbeat.
Source - The Herald
