As global investors seek new regions of growth and resilience, Africa is increasingly seen not just as a frontier — but as the future. With rising urbanisation, accelerating digital adoption, and a demographic boom, the continent is poised to reshape the global economic order. At the forefront of this shift is Zotus City, a visionary, carbon-neutral urban development in Botswana, now emerging as one of the most ambitious new-city projects in modern African history.
Announced by Zotus Group in partnership with the Government of Botswana and supported by a network of international experts, Zotus City will break ground in September 2025. It represents a bold reimagining of African urbanisation — not merely as a demographic inevitability, but as a strategically investable opportunity.
Unveiled to global leaders at the World Economic Forum in February, the project is transitioning rapidly from concept to execution. It has secured the formal backing of the President of Botswana and his Cabinet, solidified through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and technical follow-up visits with key government ministries. With development clearance now in place, Zotus City is positioned as a credible and investable asset — a “city as platform” model designed for long-term capital deployment.
A city built for investment and impact
Zotus City has been conceived not just as a place to live or work, but as an economic engine — a scalable platform for public-private partnership, smart infrastructure, and innovation-led growth. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with Botswana’s national development priorities while attracting global capital and talent into a controlled, de-risked urban environment.
The city will feature:
- Carbon-neutral infrastructure from the ground up, embedding renewable energy, circular resource systems, and smart utilities;
- Digitally enabled governance, mobility, and logistics systems, powered by 5G, IoT, and AI technologies;
- Inclusive and sustainable design principles, fostering a liveable, diverse, and future-ready city for both citizens and businesses.
For investors, this translates into a substantial pipeline of investable infrastructure across energy, utilities, transport, logistics, real estate, and digital services — all underpinned by policy alignment and forward visibility.
“More than a city” – building Africa’s economic platform
“The time is right for Africa, and the level of government alignment and support we’ve received is accelerating our path to delivery,” commented Davison Simango, CEO of Zotus Group. “We’re building more than a city; this is an economic platform designed to deliver long-term value, growth, and resilience to African and global economies.”
As the global economy undergoes structural shifts — from climate adaptation to supply chain reconfiguration — the need for stable, strategically located urban hubs is growing. Botswana, known for its political stability, rule of law, and strategic position in Southern Africa, offers a credible gateway into this next chapter of African growth.
Africa rising, reimagined
Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population. By 2050, it is projected to account for one in four people globally. It is also experiencing a rapid digital transformation, with mobile connectivity, fintech, and decentralised infrastructure enabling a new wave of economic activity.
Zotus City positions itself at the intersection of these trends — a rare example of an African city built with a forward-looking economic model rather than merely reacting to population growth. It addresses key investor challenges — from infrastructure gaps to governance risks — by offering a master-planned, fully integrated development aligned with both national policy and international investment standards.
Furthermore, its modular and scalable design opens the door for future expansion — the beginning of a potential pan-African platform of investable smart cities that can be adapted and replicated elsewhere on the continent.
Private capital, public alignment
Zotus Group is engaging with private equity firms, infrastructure funds, sovereign wealth entities and family offices through a series of targeted investor briefings in London, New York, Dubai and Botswana itself in the coming months. The sessions will provide a granular look at the city’s capital structure, risk mitigation mechanisms, and long-term ROI profile to interested parties.
With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) creating a single market of over 1.3 billion people, the demand for investable, well-governed urban hubs is growing rapidly. Zotus City is among the first to respond at this scale — offering an institutional-quality investment opportunity with clear national backing.
The opportunity of a generation
In a world where the next great growth markets are increasingly outside the traditional G7, Africa’s rise is inevitable. The question is not whether to invest, but how — and where.
Zotus City is a new kind of asset: part-city, part-platform and fully aligned with the continent’s emerging trajectory. With development commencing in September and government partnerships already secured, Zotus City is no longer just a vision — it is a tangible opportunity for investors to help shape, and benefit from, the next chapter of global urban and economic development.
