On Zanzibar’s north-west coast, where white-sand beaches, traditional dhow boats and Swahili coastal culture shape the experience of island life, a new hospitality concept is taking shape.
Liyongo Kendwa, is the first development from the British-Tanzanian hospitality brand Liyongo, which brings together locally inspired architecture, community-focused hospitality and individually owned villas within a professionally managed resort.
The project comprises 60 villas in Kendwa, a village known for its beach, sunset views and year-round swimming conditions.
The thinking behind Liyongo extends beyond creating another resort on Zanzibar’s increasingly popular coastline. Its founders want to establish a hospitality and residential brand that reflects the character of its destination while creating opportunities for the people who live there.
A Hospitality Brand Built Around People and Place
Founded by Christopher Nash and Victor Delo, Liyongo is a British-Tanzanian family-owned hospitality business shaped by three principles: Curiosity, Conscience and Community.
The concept brings together international business and hospitality experience with a longstanding connection to Zanzibar.
Liyongo aims to create hospitality experiences that connect visitors with the cultural and creative life of their destination, while providing opportunities for residents to participate in the economic benefits of tourism.
This includes working with village leadership to identify local priorities, including access to water, environmental issues and support for schoolchildren. Plans also include a public water fountain supplied by a well on the site, intended to provide a free water source for residents.
As Nash describes it:
“Liyongo is what I call an integrative community experience. It melts seamlessly into the local surroundings both architecturally and culturally. We want to give our guests a different kind of experience that champions connection, community and curiosity – and pass on a few ideas that ripple outwards”
Discovering Kendwa, Zanzibar
Kendwa occupies a particularly attractive position on Zanzibar’s north-west coast, an established destination for international visitors seeking beach resorts, restaurants, diving and other watersports.
Zanzibar’s tourism sector has continued to expand in 2026, recording 729,301 international visitor arrivals between January and September, an increase of 11% compared with the same period in 2025. (Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS), Zanzibar, in collaboration with the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, Tourism Statistical Release – September 2026.)
Its appeal extends beyond the coastline, with Stone Town, spice plantations and the island’s cultural heritage offering a different dimension to the beach experience. Zanzibar’s position off mainland Tanzania also provides access to some of East Africa’s best-known safari destinations, including the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
One of Kendwa’s distinguishing characteristics is the beach itself. Unlike parts of Zanzibar’s east coast, where substantial tidal movements can leave the shoreline exposed for several hours, Kendwa remains swimmable throughout the tidal cycle.
The village also has a lively atmosphere, with beach bars, restaurants and its well-known monthly full-moon celebrations.
Liyongo Kendwa – Where Coastal Rhythm Meets Village Soul
Liyongo Kendwa is set within the village on elevated, tree-lined ground, approximately a ten-minute walk from the beach. Rather than being positioned directly on the shoreline, the development takes an integrated approach to its setting, with the surrounding village forming part of its identity.
The architectural concept has been developed by Julian Huang of Cottelier, an architectural practice based in Chiang Mai. Drawing inspiration from traditional Swahili coastal settlements, the design uses coral stone, makuti roofing, lime finishes and local timber.
Courtyards, shaded pathways and deep verandas create a relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, with the design oriented around natural shade, light and the coastal breeze.
A saltwater lagoon forms part of the wider landscape concept, while the arrangement of buildings and outdoor spaces is intended to encourage both privacy and social interaction.
Describing the architectural vision, Nash says:
“Liyongo is an expression of people and place. A timeless village community, inspired by local life – nooks and crannies, coral stone, light and shadow opening and closing spaces for social engagement and curious interaction.”
The wider resort concept includes a speciality café, saltwater swimming pool, open-fire restaurant, rooftop bar, spa with steam and mist rooms, and an artisan village with exhibition space and market stalls.
Together, these facilities are intended to provide a social setting for owners and guests, while giving local businesses and creatives opportunities to reach visitors.
Sixty Hospitality Managed Villas
Alongside its hospitality concept, Liyongo offers an opportunity to purchase an individually titled villa within the managed resort.
The fully furnished collection of villas for sale includes Kwetu, a 50 sqm semi-detached studio villa starting at US$145,000; Makao, a 57 sqm one-bedroom villa from US$195,000; Kaya, a 69 sqm one-bedroom villa with plunge pool from US$245,000; Pamoja, a 113 sqm two-bedroom villa with plunge pool from US$395,000; and Jumba, the largest option, offering 161 sqm of internal space across three bedrooms, from US$525,000.
The villas are offered off-plan with individual leasehold titles registered under Zanzibar’s condominium framework. Each carries an initial 33-year lease, renewable up to a total of 99 years.
A Holiday Home Designed for Zanzibar
The decision to structure Liyongo as a hospitality-managed villa resort rather than a conventional branded residences development reflects the founders’ understanding of Zanzibar as a predominantly tourism-led destination.
While traditional branded residences often cater to buyers seeking a permanent or extended residential base, the founders believe that most international buyers in Zanzibar are more likely to use their properties as holiday homes for a few weeks each year, rather than as a permament home.
Drawing on their hospitality experience and knowledge of the local market, they believe a professionally managed rental pool is better suited to this pattern of ownership.
The 60 villas will participate in a mandatory rental pool operated by Liyongo. Owners can enjoy three weeks of personal use annually, and for the remainder of the year their villas will be used by resort guests, with Liyongo managing reservations, marketing, housekeeping, maintenance and guest services.
For buyers considering property ownership in Zanzibar, Liyongo offers individually titled villa ownership, rental income, personal private use, and professional hospitality management, all within walking distance of one of the island’s best-known beaches.
Construction is planned in two phases, with the first handovers targeted for the fourth quarter of 2028.
Liyongo’s Ambitions Beyond Zanzibar
While the immediate focus is on delivering its first resort in Kendwa, Liyongo has ambitions to expand its hospitality concept across East Africa. The founders are already planning further destinations that retain the brand’s underlying principles while responding to the architecture, culture and communities of each location.
It is an approach that places a community led holiday-home experience at the centre of the proposition, bringing together private ownership, resort services and a distinctly local setting.
