SONALO, Vivie Immobilier, Kiki Deco: When Fake Developers Sell Phantom Homes
In 2025, the MCLU (Ministère de la Construction, du Logement et de l'Urbanisme, the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning) flagged several companies marketing property developments without any official approval. Who are these fake developers and how can you spot them?
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A Name That Sounds Official Does Not Make a Licensed Developer
On March 4, 2025, the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning (MCLU) published a notice that shook the Abidjan real estate sector.
At the time, SONALO was marketing four housing developments simultaneously, in Cocody (Angré Djorogobité, Angré Bessikoi, Angré Extension) and Port-Bouët, without any ministerial licence whatsoever. Its full name, "Société Nationale de Logements" (National Housing Company), suggested a link to the State that never existed. That was its main selling point.
The same notice flagged Vivie Immobilier and Kiki Deco for similar practices: homes sold off-plan, without a licence and without building permission, outside the obligations the law imposes on every developer.
These three cases are not isolated accidents. They follow a scheme the real estate market in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) knows well, and one a buyer can learn to recognise before reaching for the chequebook.
What the Law Requires of a Property Developer
The CAPI Licence
In Ivory Coast, every property developer must be licensed by the Property Developers Licensing Commission (CAPI) of the MCLU. This is not a mere filing formality: the commission checks the company's legal existence (trade register, articles of association), its financial capacity, including the origin of its funds verified by the National Financial Intelligence Unit (CENTIF), the technical skills of its team, and the project's compliance with urban planning standards.
Without this licence, a developer has no legal right to market homes.
The Official Lists
The MCLU publishes and updates the list of licensed property developers as well as the list of licensed real estate agents.
Before paying a single franc to a developer, check that they appear on these lists. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
Source: MCLU, construction.gouv.ci.
The Fake Developer Playbook
How They Operate
The scheme varies little from one case to the next.
- A company is created under a name that inspires confidence, often one evoking the State, the nation, or a well-known institution.
- The marketing is polished: professional brochures, 3D renderings, booths at property fairs, social media advertising.
- Sales are made off-plan. "Buyers" pay deposits, sometimes the full price, for homes that exist only on paper.
- No construction ever breaks ground. The land was never acquired, or the work never starts, or the building permit was never issued.
- When the victims pile up, the company shuts down. Its directors set up a new one under another name.
Why It Works
Housing demand is massive: the deficit exceeds 600,000 units. Against that need, the prices advertised by these companies look attractive compared to the rest of the market, and the marketing holds up: brochures, videos, fabricated testimonials. The buyer in a hurry does not always think to verify the licence before paying. The check comes after the transfer, if it comes at all.
The Warning Signs
| Warning sign | What it means |
|---|---|
| The developer does not appear on the CAPI list | No licence, so no right to sell |
| The name evokes a public institution | A deliberate technique of fraudulent credibility |
| No building permit displayed at the site | A legal obligation is being ignored |
| Pressure to pay quickly | "Last units available", "limited offer" |
| Cash payment requested | No traceability |
| No notarised contract | No legal protection |
| The land is not in an approved subdivision | No ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive, the definitive concession order) is possible |
How to Protect Yourself
1. Verify the Licence
Check the official list of licensed developers. If the developer is not on it, go no further.
2. Verify the Building Permit
A legal construction site displays its building permit visibly. This permit is issued by the One-Stop Building Permit Office (GUPC) of the MCLU.
3. Verify the Land
The project land must be located in a subdivision approved by ministerial order. The database of subdivisions approved since 1960 can be consulted at construction.gouv.ci.
4. Insist on a Notarised Contract
Every off-plan sale must be formalised through a notarial deed. A "reservation slip" or a privately signed "partnership agreement" gives you no rights whatsoever to the promised home.
5. Check the IDUFCI
If the project is in an urban zone, verify that the plots are registered in the Integrated Urban Land Management System (SIGFU) at idufci.construction.gouv.ci. Every registered plot carries its Unique Land Identifier of Ivory Coast (IDUFCI).
Enhanced Screening by the CENTIF
Since the recent reforms, the CAPI systematically refers every developer's licence application to the CENTIF to verify the origin of the funds. Mandatory site visits now precede any decision.
The filter is real. But it only touches those who enter the system: fake developers never file an application at all. They sell outside the legal framework, and that is precisely what makes them hard to intercept before the first victims fall.
If You Are a Victim
- File a complaint with the police and keep all documents, receipts and SMS or WhatsApp exchanges.
- Retain a lawyer specialising in real estate law.
- Alert the MCLU: the Housing Directorate can be reached via construction.gouv.ci.
- Report the case to the CENTIF if you suspect money laundering.
Sources:
- construction.gouv.ci, MCLU, CAPI, official warnings
- officielimmobilier.net, list of licensed developers 2025
- officielimmobilier.net, list of licensed real estate agents
- idufci.construction.gouv.ci, IDUFCI
- Law No. 2019-576, Construction and Housing Code
Further reading:
?Frequently asked questions
How can I verify that a developer is licensed?+
Check the official MCLU list. If the developer is not on it, they have no right to sell homes in Ivory Coast. This list is updated regularly.
Can a developer sell homes without a licence?+
No. It is illegal. Law No. 2019-576 (the Construction and Housing Code) and the MCLU's regulations require a prior licence. Selling without one exposes the directors to criminal prosecution.
Was SONALO a state-owned company?+
No. Despite its name, "Société Nationale de Logements" (National Housing Company), SONALO had no connection to the State. The choice of name was a deliberate technique of fraudulent credibility.
Can money already paid to fake developers be recovered?+
It is difficult. If the developer has disappeared, recovering the funds requires court proceedings, which are often lengthy. That is why verifying the licence BEFORE any payment matters far more than any remedy pursued afterwards.
Does the MCLU publish a list of banned developers?+
The MCLU publishes warnings, such as the one of March 4, 2025. There is no formal "blacklist" yet, but official communications name unlicensed companies that are selling illegally.
