COCOA HOUSES

Home, dignity and financial identity for Africa’s informal workers

Cocoa Houses is a culturally inclusive and sustainable real estate program that gives informal workers in Africa a real path to homeownership. By combining mobile money, a rent to own system and climate smart housing built with local materials, we help families move from invisible renters to recognised economic actors with assets they can pass on.

why Cocoa Houses?

Across West Africa, millions of families pay rent every month without ever having the chance to own the place where they live. Most of them work in the informal economy, with no salary slips, no banking history and no collateral. For traditional banks they simply do not exist, even though they sustain local economies every day.

Cocoa Houses was created to change this reality. Our vision is simple, if people are already paying rent, then these payments should become a bridge to homeownership, financial inclusion and generational wealth.

poverty reduction

financial inclusion

stable housing

WHAT IS COCOA HOUSES PROGRAM?

A rent to own village model, designed for real life

Cocoa Houses is a real estate development program that allows informal workers to access property through a fintech enabled rent to own system.

Common spaces for micro businesses, such as groceries, marketplaces, craft ateliers, repair workshops and childcare

Construction with local and low impact materials, such as adobe and compressed earth

Homes designed with and for the residents, adapted to their lifestyle and family structure

Energy resilient systems, including solar panels, rainwater collection and water purification where needed

HOW DOES THE RENT-TO-OWN PROGRAM WORK?

Families join the program. They register through local partners or online and share simple information about their income, household size and housing needs.
They move into a Cocoa House as tenants.
Monthly payments are made through mobile money, which is already widely used by informal workers.
Each payment builds solvency data
With our partner Empowa, every transaction creates a financial identity and a picture of payment discipline.
From tenant to homeowner
After a clear period and a defined equity level, the family moves from tenant status to homeowner status, with a transparent contract.

Banks and investors can join the loop
Because the payment data is structured and reliable, financial institutions can safely support and scale the model.

WHERE ARE WE STARTING?

Cocoa Houses will first be developed in West Africa, with a focus on

• Côte d’Ivoire
• Senegal
• Nigeria
• The Gambia

And soon, we will be all over Africa.

WHO IS BEHIND COCOA HOUSE?

Empowa

provides the digital backbone that enables rent to own tracking through mobile money, generates solvency data and helps build financial identity for residents.

Phioneers

develops the architectural concepts and manages the construction process, using sustainable techniques, local materials and community based approaches.

Bafing Projects

coordinates the program, builds partnerships with local authorities and financial institutions, and ensures impact and governance.

DEAR FUTURE TENANTS

If you are an informal worker in Africa, already paying rent and interested in owning your own home through a fair and transparent program, you can join the Cocoa Houses waiting list.

If your country is not part of our pilot zone, no worry. We have partners all over Africa we can refer you to.

We ask for simple information about your family, your income and your current rent to help us plan future communities.

PARTNER WITH COCOA HOUSES

We are building Cocoa Houses as a platform that welcomes

• Local authorities and land agencies
• Banks and microfinance institutions
• Impact investors and blended finance actors
• Cooperatives and professional associations
• Research institutions working on housing, urbanisation and financial inclusion

If you would like to pilot Cocoa Houses in your city or support the model through funding, technology or research, the Bafing Projects team would be happy to talk.

COCOA HOUSES

Home, dignity and financial identity for Africa’s informal workers

why Cocoa Houses?

Cocoa Houses was created to change this reality. Our vision is simple, if people are already paying rent, then these payments should become a bridge to homeownership, financial inclusion and generational wealth.

poverty reduction

financial inclusion

stable housing

WHAT IS COCOA HOUSES PROGRAM?

A rent to own village model, designed for real life

Cocoa Houses is a real estate development program that allows informal workers to access property through a fintech enabled rent to own system.

Common spaces for micro businesses, such as groceries, marketplaces, craft ateliers, repair workshops and childcare

Construction with local and low impact materials, such as adobe and compressed earth

Homes designed with and for the residents, adapted to their lifestyle and family structure

Energy resilient systems, including solar panels, rainwater collection and water purification where needed

HOW DOES THE RENT-TO-OWN PROGRAM WORK?

Families join the program. They register through local partners or online and share simple information about their income, household size and housing needs.

They move into a Cocoa House as tenants.Monthly payments are made through mobile money, which is already widely used by informal workers.

Each payment builds solvency dataWith our partner Empowa, every transaction creates a financial identity and a picture of payment discipline.

From tenant to homeownerAfter a clear period and a defined equity level, the family moves from tenant status to homeowner status, with a transparent contract.

Banks and investors can join the loopBecause the payment data is structured and reliable, financial institutions can safely support and scale the model.

WHERE ARE WE STARTING?

Cocoa Houses will first be developed in West Africa, with a focus on

• Côte d’Ivoire• Senegal• Nigeria• The Gambia

And soon, we will be all over Africa.

WHO IS BEHIND COCOA HOUSE?

Empowa

provides the digital backbone that enables rent to own tracking through mobile money, generates solvency data and helps build financial identity for residents.

Phioneers

develops the architectural concepts and manages the construction process, using sustainable techniques, local materials and community based approaches.

Bafing Projects

coordinates the program, builds partnerships with local authorities and financial institutions, and ensures impact and governance.

DEAR FUTURE TENANTS

If you are an informal worker in Africa, already paying rent and interested in owning your own home through a fair and transparent program, you can join the Cocoa Houses waiting list.

If your country is not part of our pilot zone, no worry. We have partners all over Africa we can refer you to.

We ask for simple information about your family, your income and your current rent to help us plan future communities.

PARTNER WITH COCOA HOUSES

We are building Cocoa Houses as a platform that welcomes

• Local authorities and land agencies• Banks and microfinance institutions• Impact investors and blended finance actors• Cooperatives and professional associations• Research institutions working on housing, urbanisation and financial inclusion

If you would like to pilot Cocoa Houses in your city or support the model through funding, technology or research, the Bafing Projects team would be happy to talk.

Our Partners

BAFING [projects]

Events

Useful Links

Contact

They move into a Cocoa House as tenants.
Monthly payments are made through mobile money, which is already widely used by informal workers.

Each payment builds solvency data
With our partner Empowa, every transaction creates a financial identity and a picture of payment discipline.

From tenant to homeowner
After a clear period and a defined equity level, the family moves from tenant status to homeowner status, with a transparent contract.

Banks and investors can join the loop
Because the payment data is structured and reliable, financial institutions can safely support and scale the model.

• Côte d’Ivoire
• Senegal
• Nigeria
• The Gambia

• Local authorities and land agencies
• Banks and microfinance institutions
• Impact investors and blended finance actors
• Cooperatives and professional associations
• Research institutions working on housing, urbanisation and financial inclusion