Prime office spaces in Africa’s major cities continue to attract strong demand from organizations, corporations, and investors, offering modern infrastructure, flexible layouts, and amenities that support productivity, collaboration, and hybrid work.
These high-grade offices, often located in central business districts and prestigious commercial hubs, consistently outperform secondary stock in occupancy, rents, and tenant preference.
Across the continent, Grade A and ESG-compliant offices are driving a widening gap between prime and secondary markets.
In several key CBDs, occupancy rates for high-quality offices have surpassed 90%, reflecting a pronounced flight-to-quality trend as tenants prioritize efficiency, technology, and sustainability.
Hybrid work models are driving demand for smaller, flexible, and adaptable office layouts.
While this supports productivity and talent access, uneven digital infrastructure and varying cultural readiness remain challenges. Landlords are responding with agile leases, fit-out allowances, and rent incentives to stay competitive.
This article ranks the top 10 most expensive African cities for prime office space in H1 2025, presenting average rents per square meter, comparisons with H1 2024, and insights into emerging market dynamics.
The data is drawn from Knight Frank’s The Africa Offices Market Dashboard for H1 2025, which tracks rental performance and office market trends across Africa.
Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria, ranked as the most expensive city for prime office space in Africa in the first half of 2025. Grade A offices in Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Ikeja averaged $55 per sqm.
Occupancy in Ikoyi rose from 84% in H2 2024 to 91%, while overall prime market occupancy increased from 65% in the first half of 2024 to 73% in the first half of 2025. Completions such as Pantheon Tower in Ikoyi and Phoenix Office Park in Ikeja added significant space, which was quickly absorbed by tenants seeking higher-specification buildings.
Hybrid work adoption grew to 31% of businesses, though 55% still required full on-site attendance. Key developments expected to be completed by the end of 2025 include Ulesh Ikoyi, Dangote Industries HQ, The Phoenix, and 18C Glover Road.
Prime rents have slightly softened from $56 per sqm in the first half of 2024 to $55 per sqm, reflecting landlord strategies prioritizing occupancy over aggressive rent growth.
