Zanzibar Real Estate: Same Developer, Two Different Islands, Two Different Deals
Compare Infinity’s $350,000 Zanzibar beachfront resort with Tanzanian residency and its $210,000 Pemba Island resort with live unit availability.
Key takeaways
| Same developer | Both built by Infinity Developments |
|---|---|
| Price range | $210,000 (Pemba Island) to $2,500,000+ (Zanzibar beachfront villa) |
| Residency included | Family residency in Tanzania — Anantara only |
| Real-time transparency | Live per-unit Sold/Available sheet — NH Collection only |
Two islands, one developer
"Zanzibar" is often used loosely to mean the whole archipelago, but our two verified projects sit on two genuinely different islands, built by the same developer, Infinity Developments, with different economics.
| Anantara Zanzibar | NH Collection, Pemba Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Island | Zanzibar (Unguja), beachfront | Pemba Island, part of the same archipelago |
| From | $350,000 (Hotel Suite) | $210,000 (Hotel Suite, Forest View) |
| Units | 231 (suites, villas, penthouses) | 171 (140 hotel suites + villas) |
| Residency | Family residency in Tanzania included | Not stated |
Anantara Zanzibar: the only branded beachfront property on the island, plus residency
Anantara Zanzibar Resort and Residences is marketed by the developer as the only branded beachfront property on Zanzibar island itself, managed end-to-end by Anantara. Pricing spans a wide range by unit type: Hotel Suites from $350,000, Lagoon Suites from $472,500, One-Bedroom Villas from $1,050,000, up to Three-Bedroom Residences from $2,500,000. The developer projects 15.64–23.17% annual yield depending on unit type and occupancy scenario — a projection, not a guaranteed rate. Buyers also get family residency in Tanzania and the ability to open multi-currency bank accounts as part of the purchase, plus 14 days per year of personal use.
Pemba Island: a lower entry price, and a rare level of real-time transparency
NH Collection Zanzibar, Pemba Island Resort is a different proposition entirely — same developer, but a lower entry price ($210,000 for a Forest View Hotel Suite, $230,000 for Seaview) and a wellness-led concept across 171 keys in six named blocks (Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Ruby, Tanzanite, Pearl). What makes this project unusual in our entire catalog is the developer's own availability sheet: a live inventory listing every villa individually (V1–V31) with a real "Sold" or "Available" status, not a rounded catalog estimate. Several units are already marked sold, meaning this reflects actual sales activity — a level of granularity most developers don't publish at all.
Which one actually fits your goal
If residency in Tanzania and being on Zanzibar's main beachfront specifically matter to you, Anantara is the only one of the two that offers either. If your priority is a lower entry price and being able to verify real-time, unit-level sales activity before committing — rather than relying on a developer's general availability claim — Pemba Island's transparency is the stronger signal. Both come from the same developer, so construction and management standards should be comparable; the real difference is what each project is actually optimized to deliver.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pemba Island the same place as Zanzibar?
Pemba Island is part of the Zanzibar archipelago but is a physically separate island from Zanzibar's main island (Unguja), where the Anantara project is located. They're both part of Tanzania's Zanzibar region but are distinct locations with their own character.
Does buying property in Zanzibar automatically give you residency in Tanzania?
Not automatically across every project — it depends on the specific development. Anantara Zanzibar Resort and Residences explicitly includes family residency in Tanzania as part of the purchase; this isn't stated for the NH Collection Pemba Island project in the materials we've reviewed.
How can I check real availability before committing to a unit?
Ask the developer for a live, unit-by-unit availability sheet rather than relying on a general "units available" claim. NH Collection Zanzibar's own sheet — naming every villa individually with a real Sold/Available status — is a good example of the level of detail worth requesting for any project you're seriously considering.