10 Places Where Office Space is Most Expensive in Africa

Prime office spaces have become a vital part of Africa’s urban growth story, offering modern design, hybrid-friendly layouts, and sustainable features that appeal to global companies and local enterprises alike. 

From financial institutions to tech firms and government agencies, demand for high-quality offices is reshaping city skylines and driving a clear distinction between Grade A spaces and older stock.

Based on insights from Knight Frank’s Africa Offices Market Dashboard for the first half of 2025, here are the African cities where prime office space is commanding the highest rents.

Lagos, Nigeria – $55/sqm

Nigeria’s commercial nerve center, Lagos, tops the list as the most expensive African city for prime office space. Average rents stood at $55 per square meter in H1 2025, slightly down from $56 in the same period last year.

The city’s high-end markets Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Ikeja, remain the most sought-after, thanks to their modern designs and proximity to business clusters. Occupancy in Ikoyi surged to 91% (up from 84% in late 2024), a sign of the strong “flight-to-quality” trend among tenants.

Recent developments like Pantheon Tower in Ikoyi and Phoenix Office Park in Ikeja quickly attracted corporate occupiers looking for better specifications, proving that new supply is easily absorbed. 

Even as hybrid work adoption grows (31% of businesses now embrace it), more than half of Lagos-based companies still require full on-site presence.

Several landmark projects are set for completion before the end of 2025, including Dangote Industries HQ and Ulesh Ikoyi, which are expected to further cement Lagos’s dominance in Africa’s office market.

Abuja, Nigeria – $46/sqm

Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, follows closely behind at $46 per square meter. The city’s appeal comes not only from being the seat of government but also from the presence of international organizations, embassies, and a growing number of multinational corporations.

Demand is particularly strong in districts such as the Central Business District, Wuse, Maitama, and Asokoro. Tenants are increasingly prioritizing offices that come with smart infrastructure, flexible layouts, and sustainability credentials.

Unlike older, less central buildings, new Grade A spaces are quickly snapped up, making Abuja a competitive market for landlords. The capital’s reputation as a policy and diplomatic hub ensures that demand from government-linked entities and global agencies will remain steady.

Cairo, Egypt – $37/sqm

With $37 per square meter, Cairo sits third on the list, and for good reason. Egypt’s capital has a dynamic office market supported by rapid urban development and strong corporate demand.

Submarkets like East and West Cairo are popular, but New Cairo is becoming the hotspot, thanks to its modern infrastructure, ample parking, and proximity to the New Administrative Capital. 

Many global firms favor this submarket for its accessibility and state-of-the-art designs.

Occupancy levels for prime stock have hit 90%, highlighting the popularity of plug-and-play spaces and ESG-compliant offices. 

Compared to 2024, Cairo’s rental growth of 2.5% is also notable, signaling continued confidence from both local and international occupiers.

Lusaka, Zambia – $18/sqm

Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka, may not be as pricey as Lagos or Cairo, but with rents at $18 per square meter, it ranks fourth among Africa’s most expensive office markets.

Here, demand is driven by smaller office units ranging from 50 to 250 sqm, as well as serviced office solutions, reflecting the needs of SMEs and start-ups. Areas such as Waterfalls, Garden City Mall, Bonanza Estate, and Chongwe located just outside the traditional CBD are seeing rising interest.

Landlords and tenants in Lusaka are navigating a challenging economy by negotiating fit-out contributions, flexible leases, and rent-free periods. Despite Zambia’s macroeconomic volatility and Kwacha depreciation, prime rents have remained stable year-on-year, signaling resilience in the city’s office market.

Kampala, Uganda – $16.5/sqm

At $16.50 per square meter, Kampala claims the fifth spot. The Ugandan capital has a tenant-led market, where businesses are increasingly leaning towards flexible, tech-enabled spaces.

Co-working hubs and serviced offices are flourishing, offering modular layouts, reliable internet, and scalable space options. 

Traditional Grade A offices in the CBD continue to attract rents of $16.50 per sqm, but newly delivered premium offices are achieving much higher between $18 and $22 per sqm as tenants show a clear preference for modern amenities, sleek finishes, and generous parking ratios.

Looking forward, Kampala’s market is set for a major shake-up, with over 100,000 sqm of new Grade A stock expected by the end of 2025. 

While this could increase competition and push down rents in older buildings, it also positions Kampala as one of East Africa’s most promising office markets.

Johannesburg, South Africa — $15/sqm

Johannesburg remains one of Africa’s busiest business hubs, and its office market shows a decisive flight to quality. 

Top-tier (P-grade) buildings are tightening fast, with vacancies down to 7.8%, while older C-grade stock is seeing vacancies rise by nearly 10%, a stark split that underlines how tenants are prioritizing newer, better-equipped space.

What occupiers want is simple: reliable infrastructure and business continuity. Buildings that offer strong facility management, modern lifts and lobbies, and dependable power (including generator backup systems) are winning renewals and new leases.

On the supply side, new construction is at historic lows, so there isn’t much fresh space to dilute demand. 

Rents for prime space held steady at $15/sqm versus H1 2024, but with vacancies tightening at the top end and a thin development pipeline, the balance of risk tilts toward gradual rental growth over time especially for well-located, prestige addresses that already tick the ESG and efficiency boxes.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — $15/sqm

Dar es Salaam shares sixth place with Johannesburg on pricing, but the market dynamics are distinct. The Grade A segment is steady and improving, with overall occupancy up to 75% (from 70% in H2 2024). 

Landlords have kept momentum by being pragmatic, flexible lease terms, rent concessions, and active negotiations are common tools to keep good tenants in place and attract new ones despite pockets of oversupply.

Headline prime rents are unchanged year-on-year at $15/sqm, reflecting a market that’s stabilizing rather than surging. Demand is concentrated in well-located, high-quality buildings, while older or secondary assets continue to battle elevated vacancies.

Another visible shift: tenants are downsizing footprints and seeking smaller, more adaptable layouts that control costs and support hybrid work. 

This has focused attention on Mikocheni, Kinondoni, and parts of the CBD, and it’s also lifting interest in co-working and serviced offices where occupiers can scale up or down quickly without heavy fit-out commitments.

Gaborone, Botswana — $13/sqm

Gaborone has been quietly recovering, and the Grade A core has led the bounce. Prime monthly rents climbed to $13/sqm from $11/sqm in H1 2024, while CBD occupancy has stabilized between 85% and 95%. 

Corporates are gravitating to buildings that combine energy efficiency, secure parking, and strong digital connectivity, all of which translate into smoother daily operations and better staff experience.

The Grade B story is different: occupancy is below 75%, and rents have softened to $6.5–$7.5/sqm. Owners in this tier are working harder to compete—shorter leases, selective rent reductions, and targeted refurbishments are now common. Looking ahead, older assets will need sustainability upgrades, adaptive reuse strategies, or modular fit-outs to remain relevant in a market where tenants increasingly benchmark buildings on ESG, running costs, and workplace quality, not just headline rent.

Nairobi, Kenya — $13/sqm

Tied with Gaborone on pricing, Nairobi’s market shows two parallel demand streams. Global and regional multinationals are pushing a clear flight to quality, targeting green-certified, ESG-aligned buildings with advanced infrastructure and efficient floorplates. 

At the same time, domestic firms continue to favor value-oriented Grade B offices, keeping that segment resilient through affordability.

Prime rents are stable at $13/sqm, unchanged from H1 2024. One reason they’re not rising faster: an oversupply overhang in lower-grade stock, plus about 15,000 sqm of additional space expected to reach the market by the end of 2025. 

Absorption is happening but it’s measured, and it skews to the best assets. Owners of non-prime buildings that can retrofit for energy performance, air quality, and digital readiness will be best placed to capture demand without aggressive discounting.

Lilongwe, Malawi — $10.32/sqm

Lilongwe rounds out the list at $10.32/sqm for Grade A space, up from $8.6/sqm a year earlier. Demand is anchored by financial institutions, NGOs, and regional corporates, groups that value secure locations, solid specifications, and dependable utilities. 

That said, macroeconomic headwinds including recent USAID funding restrictions have encouraged many occupiers to shrink footprints or shift into affordable Grade B options.

Those moves save money, but they come with trade-offs: weaker security, lower energy efficiency, and inconsistent building specs. 

As a result, high-quality buildings that can demonstrate tangible operating cost savings (through energy systems, space efficiency, and maintenance standards) are best positioned to keep rents firm and maintain stable occupancy as organizations reassess space needs.