Can Foreigners Buy Property In Ghana?

Unpacking the Ghana Real Estate Purchasing Experience. 

In the past decade, Ghana has become one of the most attractive destinations for business and leisure in Africa. According to CNN, Ghana’s travel industry is projected to raise $8.3 billion a year by 2027. Furthermore, the country’s status as a global hub was underscored by the renowned success of the “ the Year of Return” initiative. It’s no surprise then, that Ghana has also seen a rapid increase in the demand for its real estate. In particular, the emergence of established real estate developers and the upscale property has created a friendly market for foreign investors and made Ghana a top real estate investment destination. 

Thus, an important question arises, “how can you buy property in Ghana as a foreigner?” While the answer to this question covers a number of different facets, there are some major steps that one must go through to efficiently secure property in Ghana: 

• Identify who owns the land/ property
• Carry out due diligence
• Get the help of a professional property lawyer
• Work with the Lands Commission where necessary

Generally in the Ghanaian real estate industry, land being purchased includes all fixtures or property on the land. Each different type of land or property requires a specific purchasing process governed by specific laws. Thus one of the first steps to take as a foreign citizen is to determine what type of real estate is being purchased. There are four types of land in Ghana:

• Government land
• Vested land
• Customary/stool land
• Family/private land

Customary land (owned by stools/ tribal chiefs) and Family/ Private land make up about 80 percent of all land ownership in Ghana.  Government Land (Public land) and Vested Land make up the remaining 20 percent. In essence, most land in Ghana can now only be acquired as a leasehold. Land laws in Ghana allow  foreign citizens to lease land for a maximum of 50 years while Ghanaian citizens are allowed to lease land for up to 99 years . In order to buy government or vested land foreign citizens need to file an application with the Executive Secretary of Lands Commission or the Regional Lands Officer, depending on the location of the land. Similarly, foreign citizens who wish to buy commercial properties should register with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

With regard to property for personal use, experts recommended that non-Ghanaians buy directly from established real estate developers. It is important that the selected developer is registered with the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA). This is to ensure the security, transparency and reliability necessary for foreign real estate transactions and investments.

The next crucial consideration is the legal ownership of the relevant property. A land title search, as well as a valuation, must be carried out by the appropriate government office. Furthermore, all property transactions must be facilitated by an independent property lawyer to give their legal opinion and affirm the validity of the purchasing processes. 

Once a purchase agreement has been made between all relevant parties involved, a lawyer draws up a Deed of Conveyance. When this deed of conveyance is signed and the established fee for the property is paid, the property title is passed to the buyer. The title is ultimately registered at the Lands Commission Secretariat. 

In the same vein, Seso Global is an innovative company that has significantly enhanced the real estate ecosystem in Ghana through technology. In partnership with the leading real estate developers and professionals,  Seso Global has built Africa’s most trusted property marketplace which is a unique one-stop shop for digital real estate transactions. Through a unique ecosystem of services, they offer buyers access to trusted properties and professional service providers. This allows for a secured, efficient end-to-end property purchasing experience along the real estate value chain.