A roof over one’s head

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- Located fairly conveniently in Addis, the Gotera condominium compound is breathing new life into what used to be an uninspiring living quarter in the capital. A neighborhood previously known as Teshale Garage, named after one of the oldest vehicle workshops in the city, the site where Gotera condominium is built, was an ammunition depot under the Derg.

The store was razed down to the ground days after the fall of the Derg. Well, that was then. Today, it is a cozy residential compound where everything from shops and supermarkets to internet cafes and bars can easily be accessed. And it is home for thousands of condo lottery assigned owners and renters.

In fact, it is jokingly named the ‘Facebook’ in reference to the famed social media which has one-seventh of the world population as its user. Business flourished in the compound long ago, now almost every commodity and service can be accessed within the enclosed compound. Largely populated by the young middle income earner, it, indeed, is the face of new Ethiopia. Comprising some 79 blocks and close to 1900 apartments, Gotera is estimated to provide shelter for more 7500 people. However, as densely inhabited as it is, the residential compound is still under a lot of pressure from house rental demand from people living elsewhere. The monthly rental price movement adequately establishes the stronger pull from demand as one bedroom apartment now costs up to 3,000 birr. Read more