Cheryl D. Mills, founder of BlackIvy Group – parent company of IndigoHomes the real estate firm, has reaffirmed her outfit’s commitment to continue providing Ghanaians with quality but affordable homes.
She explained that: “As an award-winning real estate market leader, IndigoHomes is dedicated to helping people love where they live by building vibrant, moderately-priced homes at secure communities in Greater Accra”.
IndigoHomes currently boasts two 200-townhome unit developments; namely AyiMensah Park that is totally sold-out, and Oyarifa Park which is 85% sold-out.
Fraternising with the media during a roundtable meeting held at its Oyarifa Park, Madam D. Mills – who was also Chief of Staff to former Secretary Hillary Clinton of the United States America – said aside from creating a positive rapport and improving its media relations, the meeting was meant to increase the brand’s visibility and awareness.
While reaffirming IndigoHomes brand as market leader within the real estate market sphere, she admitted that meeting with the media also afforded her an opportunity to introduce herself as founder of the company.
Concerning IndigoHomes’ market reach, she said: “In our first homes at Ayi Mensah, about 25 percent to 30 percent are global while 70 percent are Ghanaians. We are doing both local and global because, firstly, we want the majority of our developments to be owned by Ghanaians who are residing here; but we also want to create a space for Ghanaians who live in the US or Americans, particularly African-Americans, to enable them feel a connection to this country and be able to live in the same common communities. So we are thinking about not just individuals who live here, but also those who are returning”.
She added that unlike some of its competitors within the real estate terrain which quote prices in dollars, IndigoHomes trades in cedi: “We trade, we report and we do our business in cedi. IndigoHomes is still in the process of securing Bank of Ghana approval to quote prices in dollars”.
Known for their quality and design, Mills said IndigoHomes communities offer owners and residents homes built with attention to detail, integrated green parks and gardens, children’s playgrounds, sports courts, swimming pools and more.
“IndigoHomes is expanding expectations for quality and community – from relaxing front porches to covered outdoor kitchens, to paved double-car parking spaces, to tree-lined sidewalks, to open floor plans, to gourmet kitchens with engineered stone countertops and top-quality appliances, to master suites with dual vanities,” she further noted.
She however lamented that despite the numerous business opportunities available, doing business on the continent of Africa is very challenging – elaborating that, as is often the case in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, IndigoHomes had to grapple with challenges ranging from land acquisition to trust issues at its initial stages here in Ghana. But she was quick to add that “Those challenges are now a thing of the past”.
Mills, who currently serves on the board of BlackRock, Inc., the Clinton Foundation and the See Forever Foundation, also revealed that IndigoHomes has over 200 people developing its sites.
“When we came to Ghana, one of the things we wanted to do was ensure we were creating opportunities for more people to acquire a set of skills and talent. So we brought in individuals from Colombia and they trained the Ghanaian people in particular styles for six weeks. We also brought in talents from the US to assist with talent development,” she added.
Priscila Sowatey, sales representative-IndigoHomes, showing the media around their townhome unit development project that blends modern American architecture with timeless Ghanaian features and is situated at Ayi Mensah, said that: “In terms of architecture and style, the homes are the same; but the Oyarifa townhome unit development is an improvement on Ayi Mensah’s”.
IndigoHomes is a division of BlackIvy Group – a value-driven U.S. company that builds, operates and scales businesses which drive long-term growth and resilient value in essential sectors like housing, food, healthcare, infrastructure and logistics in sub-Saharan Africa.
