Sambala Village Sao Francisco, Santiago
First part of the Sambala development open to residents
Daniel Grepne a Norwegian living in England received land at Sambala
on Santiago as a bad debt from the Government and launched a housing
project called Sambala Village.. After he died, his son Johnathan
Grepne who lives in Monaco took it over.
Sambala Phase 1 is mostly complete set on a high cliff way above
one of the best beaches in Santiago. Sambala construction is unusual
in that steel girders are welded into frames to which are attached
doors and window frames. The steelwork is covered with polystyrene
foam which is then coated with cement. Completion was due in February
2007, but has been seriously delayed. The Government is building
a 6.2km stretch of tarmac road from the Praia ring road roundabout
to Sao Francisco Beach.
R from the Canaries was an early visitor to Sambala.
"I was there in July, 2005. I bribed a taxi to take us to
the Sambala site, because t's an incredibly bad road up there. The
taxi took about 30 mins to get us there because the road twists
and turns up and down on a dirt track with big potholes all over
the place. We eventually got to a big sign advertising the Sambala
development with a plan. It is high above the sea on a massive site
covered in rocks of all sizes and shapes. The driver said that in
August he had heard that building would start with 2000 workers.
We drove through poverty and squalor to get there,with goats, pigs
and chicken running around everywhere. Maybe the wages will help
these people get on their feet ...but it will take many years I
think."
And A from Yorkshire said in 2006 before Sambala was built
"Sambala is an awful site. It is 800m from the sea, but perched
on a cliff 300m above it. It is way behind schedule. There is nothing
there. Santiago is years off becoming a tourist island, It is dreadful."
M from London found nothing there at Sambala.
"Its got a long way to go. I went out to that supposed Sambala
development in June, 2005. The roads are not there. There are just
3 signs. You`re so far out of Praia that when you're there at Sambala
your stuck there."
R from Devon an early visitor is more positive about Santiago but
not Sambala
"Santiago is very different from Sal. The street markets
are colourful. But the Sambala development is too far off completion
to be of any interest."
T from the MidEast is disillusioned about Sambala but hanging on.
"We were initially quite excited at the Sambala Development
and did decide to try and purchase a 2 bed unit, however the "experience"
has proved to be quite a difficult process. We did put in an application
and sent of our cheque to K at Sambala. Then despite many mails
and phone calls we eventually found the senior partner had died
and thrown the project into chaos. To be fair to K I don't think
he knew what was happening either. I believe that the whole Sambala
project was vastly oversubscribed and if/when the next Sambala blocks
are released then there will be a 7.5% hike in price. To make matters
worse our friends who we introduced to the Sambla project 2 weeks
after we applied have been offered an apartment directly by the
new sales director at Sambala, a cancellation apparently. Given
the problems they have the feel good factor certainly seems to be
waning for us with Sambala. I still believe that the Sambala project
has a great deal of potential with the associated golf and marina.
However I feel this is now looking to be long term, only phase one
has to date been started so 3-4 years from now to complete thisSambala
village with building works for the next 8-10. Rental is very important
to us and the returns therefore are not readily visible at present.
Also the fact that no euro mortgage would be available until completion
is a concern when no completion date could be guaranteed. Having
said that I feel we will simply wait and see if we are offered the
Sambala apartment of our choice, if not we will probably pull out."
O from Birmingham saw it before building had started at Sambala
"Visited Sambala on Saturday - it's a big joke. Miles away
from Praia down a narrow dirt track (which a coach could not pass
through). It's in the middle of nowhere. And the so called beach
can be seen from Sambala plot in the distance over the cliff with
no road to connect. There is nothing around - indeed on the Sambala
site there is nothing built at all. A couple of lads were there
painting stones. If you plan to invest here - you're either crazy
or haven't been to visit. PS the Sambala brochure has pictures from
other islands."
G is a builder from Scotland has seen recent progress at Sambala
"I visited the Sambala resort in March 2006 and have reserved
a property after being given a guided tour by a site agent. I could
see evidence of the ring road (from the airport around Praia which
will cross the road to Sambala from Praia) being built. Overall,
I liked it and think it will be a good resort. I toured the island
and think it has great potential with varied tourist activities.
Much more interesting than Sal if you want more than just to sit
in the sun. I think Sambala Developments will have their work cut
out, though, to complete enough properties to fill a weekly flight
from the UK. I'm a builder. Some 80% of new houses in Scotland are
built exactly this way except with timber. Sambala is building to
UK standards and and importing most materials from the UK. The advantage
with steel over timber is that there is likely to be less shrinkage
in the finished house. Traditional masonry built housing in the
UK is going out of fashion. Timber frame kits have been the growing
trend for 30 years because you can get a house wind and watertight
in 10 days after foundations are laid."
T is an estate agent from Barcelona but did not find Sambala rwealistic.
"The Sambala project is in the middle of nowhere with a route
taken straight from a scene from the film Black Hawk Down!!!!!
The Sambala project is however underway but at a very early stage
with ground being cleared and roads being constructed and laid by
hand, some containers are now on site with a few diggers, I was
pleased to see this due to the concerns I have read on websites
of people who had parted with their cash, I will forward you some
pictures of Sambala."
R from London has discoved another issue Sambala furniture packs
"I have just had the furniture pack literature from Sambala and
I am horrified at the prices. For a 2 bedroom apartment in Sambala
village the cheapest package works out at nearly £15,000. That is
twice as much as I was expecting. Does anybody know of a furniture
pack provider that can do it cheaper than Sambala?"
A from Staffs was upset by Sambala prices, too
"I was pretty shocked at Sambala prices. They have given
us five options ranging from €17,000 - 35,000 to kit out our
apartment. We haven't spent that much in our own home! Has anyone
else found themselves in this situation and had any ideas about
the way to proceed? We thought about shipping our own stuff but
heard the import charges are steep."
S from London thinks its better to buy elsewhere than Sambala.
"There are a sizeable number of Sambala investors, who have not
committed to any of the in-house furniture options and may well
have to let out independently of the Sambala scheme. I dont want
to be overly negative, but the practicalities of their insistence
on minimum furnishing standards and not as yet approving any third
party supplier (I wonder why), mean that many of us can see the
financial benefit of getting furniture elswhere and not taking advantage
of the Sambala rental schemes. The Sambala schemes were either the
guaranteed 5% return, or Sambala handling the bookings, admin, cleaning
and laundry for a percentage, or investors going it alone."
S from Manchester feels that Sambala flats will not let well furnished
or unfurnished
" We are purchasing a 3 bed apartment at Sambala and our packs
start at €22,000 upwards. Sambala have been slow to respond
to concerns., A lot of people feel that Sambala prices are too expensive
but that if they cannot afford them, they would be frozen out of
the 5% Sambala rental guarantee and the 25% Sambala commission lettings.
Amazingly, some people seem quite happy to pay silly prices for
Sambala furniture. Maybe these were early Sambala investors who
paid a bit less for their apartments.Sambala rental yields will
not be high whilst so much work remains undone. We have felt very
let down by the way that we were originally given estimates by Sambala
of a third of the price. Our quote for oak solid wood is €32000
."
M from Susex wonders why there is so little interest in Sambala
"I know that Santiago already has an international airport and
the quality of the build appears high (albeit slow off the mark)
in Sambala, yet few seem to be considering it as a potential purchase.
Santiago island doesn't seem to impress and people feel that it
will lag others in tourist appeal - in spite of a nice beach I understand
at Sambala. Please can someone enlighten me as to the general lack
of enthusiasm?"
S from Surrey checked Vila Verde and Sal before buying at Sambala
"Praia is the capital and a busy place. It has a litter problem.
Roads are being developed and I feel that as the money comes in
the Government will improve the infrastructure and facilities here,
first. This island obviously hasn`t got as many beaches, and the
other island that I feel would be worth looking at is Sao Vicente.
I strongly suggest a visit to the islands and doing your own research
before buying. After much thought about what I wanted , I decided
to buy a villa at Sambala."
J and G fron Shropshire bought without looking first at Sambala
"“We were looking for somewhere warm in winter because we do all
our main work in summer, and Sambala seemed perfect as we also love
snorkelling and diving, We wanted somewhere big enough for the family
and were also attracted by the prices – we paid £108,000 for ourSambala
villa. The only downside is that we are going to have to wait two
years until it is built. It is the first place we have bought abroad
and we have yet to visit the island, but when I saw a programme
about Sambala, it looked idyllic.”
A from Birmingham was an early investor in Sambala
"I am an original investor at Sambala as I bought a 1 bed in the
condo blocks over 2.5 years ago. I am absolutely astonished by what
Sambala have written to me about the 18months delay now at March
2008..... they are blaming anything and anyone for the delays other
than themselves...I have many properties on my rental portfolio
and this one Sambala is bottom of my index and I now know why. Yes
I am going for them and on compensation as they have sloping shoulders
but that can be corrected as far as I am concerned."
K from Yorkshire is fed up with Sambala
"We are all sick and tired of STILL not having any definite dates
for completion and handover from Sambala"
M from Mancehster confirms that Sambala communications are still
poor.
"Went to see Sambala at Place in the Sun exhtbition at Manchester
didnt really fill me with confidence on delays etc. I purchased
a 1 bedroom apt in C block Sambala haven`t heard anything for ages!
I still havent sorted any furniture package out yet . "
D from Essex has inspected Sambala recently
"Visited Santiago and Sambala in November. Santiago island has
no infrastructure at all - maybe in about 20 years time. Visited
site and was astonished to hear they were going live in April! Build
quality was very poor at Sambala - they were already doing remedial
works to Sambala flats which were first to be built. Every beach
on Santiago island resembled a rubbish tip - completely gob smacked.
Could not get away quick enough."
C from Lancs is disappointed at slow progress at Sambala.
"I got in and was pretty disappointed at progress. It was unlocked,
so that shows you how little was in it and the stairs going up from
the courtyard had only rough chipboard treads. Based on the Sambala
information, I expected it to be much further forward. Getting materials
out of customs is a real problem. When I've been out before, the
whole place has been swarming with workers like a beehive. There
were comparatively few people there this time because very little
for them to work with. I saw nobody working , there were some machines,
diggers, etc, working in the courtyard. Most people seemed to be
working on the new townhouses, though some are still just foundation
slabs and I don't believe they have started on the second swimming
pool.
Re food, I believe Sambala intend to have someone open a "snack
bar" in one of the shop units, because there won't be enough custom
for the restaurant in the early days. However, they will struggle
to get anyone to take the units until the internal road is finished
because of the amount of dust. At the moment it looks like something
out of the Wild West. It was very windy. However, in the apartment
courtyards, you are not aware of what's going on outside.
Apart from the lack of gas supply - a real issue in my view -
my main concern is the access road. The current track is pretty
precarious, but it has noticeably deteriorated under the weight
of construction traffic. It really brought home just how bad that
track is. It's passable, but you have to go very carefully if you
have a vehicle that doesn't have much clearance. The road from the
resort down to the beach is also a lot worse than I remember it.
Without the new tarmac road, I think they will struggle to stay
open. For investors who are prepared to cope with it being a bit
challenging to get to and from, it will be OK - but I don't think
we can expect anyone to pay money to stay there for a while yet.
"
W from Worcs is suspiciouis that nobody can report that they have
received Sambala deeds.
"A friend has repeatedly asked and had a very limited reply for
the delay....On his last visit he said it was basically like a ghost
town, nothing open and nobody in sight. He has yet to hear from
anyone directly they have their deeds ?"
S from Essex has had an official explanation from Sambala Lda
"There was an agreement for Sambala with the Cape Verde Government,
giving them a status as "aldeamento turistico". This should enable
them to import materials for construction and furniture, with no
import duty or taxes. Now, when trying to get things through the
port, the customs have been insisting on full import duty or not
allowing stuff to be unloaded. The Government seems to have changed
its mind or gone back on its word and given Sambala the lesser status
of "property developer". The impact in cash flow terms and liquidity
can not be understated. This situation has been going on for quite
a while."
G from Lancs found that not much was open at Sambala
"There is a cafe on the beach (not owned by Sambala) that serves
good food, although best to have a 4x4 to drive up and down road
at present. There is a bar at Sambala that that wasn't open when
I was there because there weren't many others staying there. There
are pools and sunloungers in use now. No other shops, restaurants
are open. "
S from London is critical of the management of Sambala
"I have never come acrosss such a lack of professionalism. Having
totally stuffed up, you would expect them to be bending over backwards,
instead they are rude, evasive and uncooperative. They have no customer
care nor respect at all. It is their management of the clients which
is hugely disturbing in addition to their total professional neglect
in terms of project management. All in all astonishing really. I
would lose my job instantly if I behaved as they do. "
B from Manchester wants compensation from Sambala
"Excuse after excuse is all I am getting from Sambala!!! My apartment
was due to be finished 18 months ago and no sign as yet of completion.
I have tried to pursue compensation as my contract contains this
but have not progressed further - solicitors do not want to pursue
this course of action saying area is very grey."
K from London prefers Sal
"I have no bias to either island, but I would say, that a large
part of the appeal of Sal is the beach, plus Santa Maria as an enchanting
character town where one can explore in safety...this can definitely
not be said of Praia where tourists are regularly warned not to
venture into at night; so if you buy at Sambala, you are stuck with
the resort alone, and anyway, it is currently a long drive from
Praia along dirt tracks..another problem is that the attractive
beach on San Francisco bay is a long walk downhill, and an even
longer one back again..not very practical, especially with a family;
in all there is a great deal to be unenthusiastic about Santiago
and Sambala...I would suggest, look..before you leap "
S from Ireland is taking legal action to recover his investment
in Sambala.
" I now want to pull out of the Sambala project as I am totally
dissatisfied with the progress of the work and delays in handing
over the keys. I am using a solicitor in Manchester who is confident
that I can cancel my contract with Sambala and have my money back
He has already threatened Sambala with legal action in the UK and
it seems to be working."
S from Birmingham is critical of Sambala but hopes things will
improve
"It will prove to be a good investment. However, there have been
problems along the way. i.e. Delays, some quite extensive for some
investors, furniture at more than three times the cost originally
indicated (and you pretty much must have in order to qualify for
rental scheme). It is going to be a major destination and a top
quality resort, it is just such a shame that poor communication,
major project planning mistakes (not getting an iron clad tax agreement
for the import of materials), over optimistic timescales given to
investors have taken place. We only bought their furniture, because
of promises that we would have our apartment by the end of last
year. The somewhat obstinate attitude of Sambala has also led to
frustration for many investors. These delays have cost many of us
dear, with the current dreadful exchange rate. The complete refusal
by Sambala to accept blame for the delays and agree to at least
pay some form of compensation, even if it is deferred to help cash
flow, has angered many investors. I believe that they over reached
themselves planning a massive resort and did not do the straightforward
basic things right. i.e. Make sure agreements are iron clad and
look after your customers. All that said, things are now progressing
at pace and part of the resort is already up and running."
G from Birmingham feels it is moving forward
" My wife and I have just returned from our first trip to Cape
Verde and I have to say that I was shocked (by the poverty) impressed
(by the scenery) delighted (by the Sambala build quality) and encouraged
(by the progress that the resort has made). Sambala Village is now
2/3rds completed, the building site section is quite a way away
from the completed section. Clearly, we are speaking from a privileged
position. Our townhouse has now completed and we have spent a week
in it. I am well aware that there are many out there who have not,
and are waiting for signs of progress. To them, I hope this proves
helpful. Apart from the townhouses, 3 of the 9 apartment blocks
are complete (right down to great swimming pools), a further 4 look
as if they are structurally complete, but need kitting out, and
the remaining 2 are still at the steelwork stage. The apartment
blocks are in lines of 3, and there is a large boulevard between
two of the sets of 3. This is clearly going to be one of the focal
points of the village. I was particularly impressed by the build
quality. We may have had to wait 2 year extra, but what we have
got is at least as good as UK homes and in many senses better. Certainly
my snagging list was short - though none of the baths have chains
to the plugs because the locals like the nice shiny chains! We had
a meal at the restaurant and the quality was excellent. Main course
about £11 and a bottle of wine about £8-12. Not cheap. The planting
around the site really is superb. Although the building may have
been slow, the plants have continued to grow, so each completed
property immediately has an established garden. The complete sections
do look like a luxurious holiday complex. The last mile of road
is due to be started in January 2010. The last mile was interesting
while we were there - as we had 2 days of tropical rain) which washed
part of the track away. Great fun in a 4 x 4"
M from Manchester is worried about the cash call
"I know these are worrying times, with the credit crunch and the
rise in the euro and the many delays to the build. But to be honest
it will not help the cash flow of Sambala if Stage payments are
held up, as surely the continuation of stage payments is an important
part of the development. Plus new sales have to be made and any
negative news is not going to help matters. We ourselves are in
too far to pull out now so we are hanging on in there."
C&L from Newcastle are reluctant to put up more money with
so little sign of progress.
"My wife and I bought an appartment 1 bedroom from Sambala Developments
back in 2006 we have just received a letter from Sambala saying
they would like further and last payment we are very reluctant to
pay this as the appartment looks like its nowhere near finished
we are getting a little worried as this is our life savings now
what Sambala are saying is if we send them the money the appartment
could be finished in either 12 weeks or it might take up to another
69 weeks."
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