Over the last few weeks I have been getting a lot of questions with regards to how urban developments such as Fumba Town and The Soul can be designed to prepare for a global crisis like the Corona pandemic. What can urban design do to cater for situations such as this?
The answer is clear - the only way forward is for a project to plan and design in a way that makes them resilient and self-sufficient to stand their ground in the face of any crisis. This was our vision since day one and it is now proving its worth, unfortunately sooner than we had all expected.
In Fumba Town our great emphasis on sustainability, that may have seemed eccentric at times, is now coming to full fruition:
In case of a lockdown here on the island our current residents and even our team now truly understand, that we would be able to get through this without relying solely on ‘the outside’:
Our permaculture centre next door has its own food production, with hundreds of organic free-range chickens, fresh antibiotic-free eggs and now also goats and cows. The streets of Fumba are lined with bulging fruit trees and functional landscaping full of traditional medicinal plants. Through our recycling services, we produce a lot of new soil and so we can produce more fruits and vegetables. There is a highly skilled security team who looks after our safety and well-being 24/7 and a clinic to provide excellent health care when needed.
And most importantly in times like these, we have built a wonderful community of people looking out and caring for each other. There would be no Fumba Town, without you as part of its supportive and forward-thinking community.
When the immensity of this outbreak became evident, our company put all measures in place to protect our employees, residents and of course our projects.
As CEO I can say that I face the double-edged sword of having to protect our staff and Zanzibar as a whole through the measures this company takes and at the same time having to secure the future of these projects and the investment our esteemed clients have made.
It is not an easy task to balance this, but you have trusted me with this responsibility and I will show up for you.
Amidst the uncertainty of this current situation, let us not forget what lessons were learnt in 2019 when we had (and still have) an increasingly difficult situation with the port of Zanzibar and an irregular distribution of sand that made scheduling construction works quite tricky: We did not just see challenges, we also found opportunities.
When seeking solutions for matters out of our control, we turned to the people who turned Fumba Town and the Soul into a reality:
We spoke frankly to our valued clients, who have made our projects possible. We exchanged ideas on solutions with our long-term supporters within the local authorities. We turned to our knowledgeable colleagues from the industry and one thing became evident - our shared vision is truly one of a kind and the trust in it by all the people behind the projects is what has made and will make them succeed!
You may have already made the wise decision to invest in property instead of stocks or bonds and can now see what a timeless and safe investment this truly is.
CPS is observing an increase of eager investors who are realising the benefit of investing in a tangible home, and more importantly, a place that is built to be stable, even when the world around it may not be.
Our prices are meant to be affordable and diverse with unit prices ranging between USD 20,000 only and all the way up to USD 400,000. We offer opportunities for people to open their businesses here and have commercial spaces available in different sizes, based on the business.
When the WHO officially called out a global pandemic, we noticed a big increase in rental inquiries in Fumba Town, as more people started to understand the concept behind our developments in light of the changing lifestyle requirements. Units are available from USD 150 per month and upwards and so we are able to provide homes to different incomes and now also have amazing new residents in our neighbourhood. Surely this is some uplifting news.
How the next months will pan out and how this global crisis will influence the projects and our economy, nobody can tell yet but it will definitely have an influence in terms of deliveries and procurement. However we vow to remain transparent and to keep you informed on any updates and will continue to work around the clock for you to try to counteract any upcoming obstructions.
In the name of the entire CPS team, we would like to convey our sincere well wishes to you all. Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends, families, clients and their loved ones and the more vulnerable groups of people affected by this.
On that note, please rest assured that in the true spirit of CPS, we will continue to support our beloved community of Zanzibar and help fight this virus in any way we can.
Let us look after each other, empathy is our remedy.
Now more than ever, we can not wait to see you again in Zanzibar soon,
May you all be safe and well,
Yours sincerely,
Sebastian Dietzold
CEO | 
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