The Zambian government has announced a programme to build a minimum of 12,000 housing units across the country.

The Zambia Daily Mail this week reported that Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Chileshe Kapwepwe said the 12,000 units will comprise 6,000 low-cost houses, 4,500 aimed at middle-income earners and 1,500 high-cost homes.

Kapwepwe was speaking at the Affordable Housing and Development in Zambia conference organised by the public-private partnership (PPP) unit of her ministry in the capital Lusaka.

She said that in addition to housing, complementary infrastructure such as clinics, schools and markets will also be constructed.

Kapwepwe added that PPP investors are expected to use local skills and materials.

The newspaper further reported that Secretary to the Treasury Likolo Ndalamei invited the private sector to take advantage of the housing deficit and come up with products that will be profitable and at the same time affordable to the general public.