Luxury Indian Ocean LUXURY INDIAN OCEAN #7 EDITION 2018 | Page 73

BUSINESS
Quel est le profil des acheteurs d’Azuri ?
Nous nous adressons à une clientèle riche et variée, à la fois aux
Mauriciens et aux acheteurs internationaux. On relève que 44%
de nos acheteurs étrangers sont francophones, suivis du marché
sud-africain à 22%. Nous sommes très fiers de notre mixité culturelle
et de la vie communautaire qui s’est développée au village – qui compte
actuellement 370 propriétaires.
Le mot de la fin ?
Si je ne dois retenir qu’une chose de mes dix années d’expérience dans
le secteur, c’est qu’il ne faut jamais forcer le développement. On avance
pour répondre à des besoins, mais avec un vrai sens. Avec une question
toujours en tête : quel héritage laisse-t-on aux générations futures ?
What is BlueLife’s added value as a property developer?
Our vision is as follows: “Happiness inspires the lifestyles we create”.
We have at heart our trade, and each member of our dynamic and
dedicated team knows that we hold the future of some people in
our hands. This encourages an exemplary ethical approach. Also, our
affiliation with IBL, one of Mauritius’ biggest conglomerates, is a
credential of trust for both our buyers and partners, with whom we
collaborate closely regarding land development, and the elaboration of
tomorrow’s lifestyles. Moreover, we cultivate our avant-garde spirit by
choosing not to internalise most of the trade expertise pertaining to the
development of our projects.
Is foreign demand as dynamic as it has been known to be?
It has slightly declined these last few years. But this is due to the fact
that real estate management works in phases; the decline can be
partially explained by the decrease in supply during this period. It
will unsurprisingly rise in 2018 as the island has all it takes to attract
foreigners (lifestyle, medical facilities, tax benefits…). BlueLife is one of
the biggest sellers in the business: out of 157 IRS sold in 2015, 72 were
Azuri sales; out of 166 IRS sold in 2016, 67 transactions were made by
us; and in 2017, we hold 32 PDS and IRS out of the 78 units sold. We
are ready for the new phase, and hope that it will be just as profitable!
How will foreign demand evolve in the real estate industry in the
coming years?
Mauritius is gaining maturity as a destination. We can see a leveling-up
in the ever-changing real estate offers. The properties are well thought-
out and offer more assurance to buyers… Moreover, prospective buyers
are now more informed about the destination and its purchasing terms
EDITION #7
and are, thus, more demanding. To remain an attractive destination for
this knowledgeable foreign target, we must keep in mind their new
property expectations – especially those concerning the connectivity of
their homes – so that we can fulfill them. This is why we have innovated
by proposing “Smart Homes” to our buyers in the Riviera program; it
gives the owners the opportunity to connect their houses with their
smartphones, and hence better manage their time and resources. In
order to offer adequate products to our buyers, we are constantly on the
lookout for new property trends.
Tell us about Azuri. What is the project’s vision?
Azuri, for us, is “a place where one can live a smart island lifestyle”; it sums
up the project’s vision. To optimise our quality real estate offer, we wish to
develop a holistic lifestyle offer as well, one which revolves around outlets,
activities and restaurants, as well as the golf course under construction.
There is also a Lifestyle Manager who orchestrates the residents’ lives!
What is its impact on the region?
I think that there is a triple-impact. Firstly, the village has created a
lifestyle attractivity in the region: restaurants, activities… Azuri is now a
vibrant place to visit or stay in the North. Secondly, the project, from its
early development to its daily maintenance, has generated employment
in a region which had few businesses. And finally, we have developed
a CSR scheme – financed by the sales of IRS properties with up to
Rs 200 000 per unit – which is invested in four big action plans in
the region: education and training, environmental conservation, public
infrastructure reinforcement, and social activities sponsoring. We do
our best to contribute positively to the development of the region and
the well-being of its inhabitants.
What is the profile of Azuri buyers?
We call out to a multicultural and diverse Mauritian and foreign
customer base. We note that 44% of our foreign buyers are French-
speaking, followed by 22% of South Africans. We are very proud of our
cultural diversity and the community life which has developed at the
village among the 370 present owners.
An end note?
If I had to remember only one thing from my 10-year experience in
this business, it would be that one should never force development. We
move forward to meet the demand, but it needs to make sense, and we
should always have one question in mind: what heritage are we leaving
to the future generations?
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