Hedonic pricing in Windhoek townships

This study applies the hedonic pricing model to property sales in the township areas in Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, where municipal authorities have pursued a programme of selling plots of land to settlers in order to encourage them into a formalized economic situation. We find that, apart from house quality, access to the central business district, access to marketplaces and access to transportation, environmental quality also has a large impact on property prices. Properties located close to a garbage dump sell at considerable discounts, while properties located close to a combined conservation and recreation area sell at premium prices. The results thus suggest that the hedonic pricing method can be useful for studying townships in developing countries, and that this can help to clarify the importance of environmental factors which are otherwise frequently neglected in town planning for township settlements.