Mubawab, the leading vertical real estate portal in Morocco and Tunisia according to Similarweb, has a new majority shareholder and a new parent company, reports the website Online Marketplaces, citing a LinkedIn post published on May 8 announcing that Mubawab “is embarking on an ambitious technological renewal led by its new parent company.”
The company in question is called Africa Property Portals, which has a one-page website, no LinkedIn account, and little information available about its owner. The company is described as "dedicated to promoting next-generation real estate portals in Africa" with apparent plans for a “pan-African vision” involving further investments in regional portals.
The social media announcement went on to say that under the new leadership, Mubawab would place greater focus on technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI). Several AI-powered features—such as automated ad management, price estimations, and a recommendation engine—are said to have already been deployed, with more on the way.
“Artificial intelligence is not a passing trend for us; it is a concrete lever for the digitalization of agencies and developers, in a market context that is more demanding and digital than ever,” said Abderra El Haitout, CTO of both portals.
In 2018, UAE-based online marketplace operator Dubizzle Group (formerly EMPG) acquired 51% of Mubawab and announced a \$10 million investment in the portal in 2021. In January 2024, the company underwent a management reshuffle, with founder Kevin Gormand appointing himself as Group President, Zineb Bouayad taking over operations in Morocco, and Anis Gharbie overseeing Tunisian operations.
As for Dubizzle Group, it has not confirmed its withdrawal from Mubawab, but given the tone of the LinkedIn post and Mubawab’s absence from the Emirati group’s website, this seems likely.
In Morocco, Mubawab competes with Avito, a general classifieds site owned by FDV, and in Tunisia with Tayara, another horizontal platform also owned by FDV.
