Pan-Afrcan lowcost mortagage provider, Shelter Afrique is soliciting the suppost of Kenya and Chad to enable it sway China in becoming a strategic investor, which will allow for additional funding and housing expertise.

Shelter Afrique intends to leverage on the relationship betweeen China and Africa (Kenya is the mortgager’s home nation and Chad chairs the company’s board) to push for a Chinese listing.

“We are still talking to them [China] but it is not easy to move into an international organisation,” said Alassane Ba, Shelter Afrique’s Managing Director.

“Its [China] admission is more driven by political support and we are [counting on] Kenya as the host country and Chad being the chair to give political support and the executive to support the move from the technical side.”

The social housing financer, earlier this year, received $20 million debt from European Investment Bank and is seeking for more funds to build 2,500 low-end single-bedroom units in Kenya, a Business Daily report revealed.

According to analysts, China’s involvement will provide a cheaper source of capital, as funds will be tendered in exchange for ownership stakes, as well as technical experience in housing finance management.

The Asian economic giant sits atop the biggest social housing scheme in the world, with an estimated annual budget of $80 billion.

Shelter Afrique is jointly owned by 44 African countries. Kenya has the single largest shareholdings in the mortgage company with 11.36 percent stake