UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | TV Host Edwin Musiime has officially stepped down from being the main host of the Property Show that airs on NTV weekly.
However, he will remain the Executive Producer and have ownership rights of the show that Olim Media produces.
“Starting and pioneering the idea of a real estate, The Property Show has been by far one of the most amazing TV experiences in the 21 years of broadcasting that I have had,” says Musiime.
The show premiered in 2012 after Musiime signed a content distribution deal with Africa Broadcasting Services running NTV in Uganda. At that time, Aggie Konde was the managing director at the station.
“I do appreciate Mr Konde who at that time believed in my dream and gave my team a chance to produce the property show which for the last years has been an industrious and integral part of real estate development in the country,’ he said.
His travel experience to the UK and US inspired him to create a show that bridged the gap of a vacuum of information in Uganda about real estate.
“I had been to the US and UK and was amazed by the quality of the real estate and I wanted to expose Ugandans to what I had seen. I realised that if Uganda is going to be considered as a fast-growing economy, then something had to be done to develop infrastructure,” he says.
The New Host of the Famous Property Show
Musiime added that for the last 6 months, the Property Show has been undergoing a rebrand. The newly rebranded show shall have its first airing on 3rd July 2022 but for now, Christabel takes charge as the main host and producer while the transition takes place.
Edwin shall be stepping down to allow a younger team to take the show to new heights.
“I have treasured moments when someone walked over to me saying, Edwin, I have literally built my home by watching your show. Edwin, you changed the way I thought about having functional beautiful spaces. Our fans in Uganda and elsewhere in the world are such a great family and together, we shall continue delivering good quality content that exposes everyone to good quality housing and real estate,” Musiime says.
He said that at the inception of the show, it was greatly supported by brands that believed in its ideas like Roofings and Nina Interiors. The Property Show at its peak in 2013 – 2017 was arguably billed as the highest net worth show on Ugandan airwaves.
“I am thankful to industry builders like Oliver Lalani at Roofings, Patricia Kyazze at Nina Interiors that took a chance on a then imagined start-up of a unique brand of a show and supported us in ways we can only appreciate,” Musiime adds.
The Future of the Property Show
He says that the show will now focus on sustainability as a theme for the next ten years. The content will cover more human-interest stories affecting homeowners, developers and those hoping to own a home.
The show will also promote new forms of housing that are affordable, shared, eco-friendly, flexible, stylish and healthy.
“Our concern at Olim Group is to ensure that we have content that challenges key stakeholders like KCCA to rethink physical planning and have a system that supports the sustainable growth of the industry. We shall have our lens on low-cost housing, affordable housing, drainage, security, garbage handling systems, sanitation, access to mortgages, energy efficiency, water harvesting, recycling, landlord vs tenants issues and other homeownership solutions,” says Musiime.
He says that homes have the pride to be very important when it comes to retirement.
The Challenges in Uganda’s Real Estate Sector
Musiime, however, believes that for Uganda’s real estate sector to make the desired transition, it needs to overcome several challenges.
High Price of Construction Materials
“One of the biggest challenges we are facing now is the inflated cost of construction materials. I recently encouraged two clients to put their projects on hold as a more prudent decision. A bag of cement which was between USh29,000 and USh30,000 is now between USh42,000 and USh43,000. Aluminium, steel and paint prices have all skyrocketed. Government has not helped much on this matter and continues to heavily tax construction materials and equipment,” he notes.
Housing Deficit
To overcome the issue of the housing deficit in Uganda, Musiime believes the government needs to be more involved in the matter.
“The government needs to increase its efforts in aiding the housing sector. Whereas we are a private sector-led economy, certain sectors require more government intervention,” says Musiime.”
Lack of Regulations
Government intervention would go a long way in creating policies that enable the growth of the industry. There is a need to regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants, reform and consolidate the law relating to the letting of premises, and provide for the responsibilities of landlords and tenants concerning the letting of premises and related matters.
Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the construction industry. Property developers and homeowners now more than ever are curious about the latest housing trends that are also budget-friendly and this is what has made the Property Show one of the most-watched programmes on NTV.
He credits NTV management for understanding his vision and accepting his partnership. He is proud of the show’s achievements over the past 11 years.
More about Edwin Musiime
Edwin Musiime is a Ugandan media personality and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Olim Group, a construction and real estate company.
He started at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) where he worked for 11 years as a TV host and then quit his job to venture into self-employment.
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