By Chaice Paterson, CEO & Founder, Low Deposit Homes | Updated June 2026

If your family came to Australia from Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire or elsewhere in West Africa, the path into your first home is the same powerful one every Australian first home buyer can use — and a susu (the rotating savings tradition across much of West Africa, called a tontine in Francophone communities) can help build the deposit. The headline: you can buy a brand-new home with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance through the federal 5% Deposit Scheme; permanent residents qualify for almost every scheme from the day PR is granted; and the state grants and stamp duty exemptions can remove tens of thousands more in upfront cash. At the 2021 Census there were 6,322 Ghana-born residents in Australia, alongside communities from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and other West African nations. (Nigerian families have their own dedicated guide — see the link below.) Low Deposit Homes builds across Queensland and Victoria and matches you to the area that suits your life. This is your complete guide.

A note for each community

West Africa spans Anglophone and Francophone nations, and the journey looks a little different depending on where your family started:

• Ghana — the largest of this group, with 6,322 Ghana-born residents (2021 Census), a well-established English-speaking community with strong representation in healthcare, aged care and education. Ghanaian families are the most likely here to already hold PR and qualify for the full scheme stack.
• Senegal — a smaller, predominantly Francophone community; the rotating savings tradition is widely known here as a tontine, and many arrive via skilled and study pathways.
• Côte d’Ivoire — also Francophone, with growth through skilled migration; income from professional and trade roles presents cleanly when documented.
• Other West African nations — including Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia and Mali — smaller communities, often arriving through study, skilled or humanitarian streams, with PR as the strategic first step into the schemes.

Whatever the nation, the rules are the same — it’s your visa status and income, not your birthplace, that set what you can access.

Which schemes can West African buyers access?

Your visa status is the master key:

Permanent residents (189/190/186) access everything except Help to Buy from the day PR was granted. Citizens also qualify for Help to Buy (income caps $100,000 single / $160,000 couple/family), the only scheme that shrinks the loan itself. On a temporary visa the schemes are closed for now, and PR is the strategic first step; on a 491, eligibility varies — confirm with a broker.

A quick word on what the schemes do for you: the 5% Scheme and the grants mainly reduce the deposit you need — but because the 5% Scheme waives LMI and can come with a competitive scheme interest rate, it can also lift your borrowing capacity a little. Help to Buy is the one that reduces the loan itself by taking a government equity share.

How much deposit do you need?

Far less than 20% — and because Low Deposit Homes builds right across Queensland and Victoria, the figures below are examples of the value on offer, not the only places you can buy. We match you to the corridor that suits your work, family and budget.

• More affordable Victorian corridors — for example, parts of Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong) often start around $650,000–$750,000, where a new build under $750,000 unlocks the full Victorian stack ($10,000 FHOG + stamp duty exemption + 5% Scheme), with net cash in around $30,000 on a $720,000 package. Similar value exists in other Victorian growth corridors.
• Brisbane and surrounds — for example, the western Ipswich corridor commonly runs $830,000–$1 million, where the 5% Scheme plus Queensland’s uncapped stamp duty exemption remove roughly $55,000–$60,000 of upfront cash (about $51,500 cash in on a $950,000 package). Other Brisbane growth areas, including Logan, offer comparable pathways.

The 5% Scheme lowers your deposit, not your loan — your income still needs to service it, usually capped near 6.5× a single income or 6× with dependants.

How can a susu or tontine help build your deposit?

Across West Africa, rotating savings groups are a trusted way to build a lump sum — known as a susu in Ghana and much of the region, and a tontine in Francophone communities (Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and others). Members contribute a fixed amount each cycle and the whole pool is paid out to one member in turn, rotating until everyone has had a turn. It’s a long-standing way to save a serious sum without a bank, and for a home deposit it’s genuinely useful: when your turn comes early, you receive a deposit-sized lump you’d otherwise have taken years to build.

A susu or tontine payout can form part of your home deposit, provided it’s documented and disclosed:

• Keep a clear paper trail of the payout — the contribution record and the deposit landing in your account.
• Add a gift statutory declaration if any portion is treated as a gift.
• Allow for time-in-account where a lender’s genuine-savings rules apply, so the funds are seasoned.

Never hide the source — declared and documented, a susu or tontine payout is completely routine and a genuine strength. (See: Community Savings for Your Home Deposit.)

What can a West African household afford?

A dual-income couple — combined $110,000–$180,000: a $650,000–$750,000 new build in a more affordable corridor (around $30,000 cash in) or a package in a higher-priced growth area is well within reach — we’ll show you options across both states.

A single buyer — $80,000–$110,000: more affordable corridors make one income more workable; for a citizen under $100,000, Help to Buy shrinks the loan; otherwise a joint application or a larger First Home Super Saver deposit are the honest levers.

For many West African households: parents living with you count as dependants (a parent’s pension is never used), and remittances home are committed outgoings that lower capacity but never disqualify you. Many community members work in NDIS disability support or nursing — where the right lender aggregates multiple casual income streams, and most lenders count a registered nurse’s overtime at 100%. (See NDIS Worker Home Loans, African Nurses & Healthcare Workers, and Do Remittances to Africa Affect Your Home Loan?)

Popular corridors — and the value they offer

Low Deposit Homes builds across Queensland and Victoria, so these are examples of where the value is strong, not the only places you can buy — we match you to the corridor that suits your work, family and budget.

Brisbane and surrounds — for example, the western Ipswich corridor (areas such as Collingwood Park, Redbank Plains and Ripley) and the Logan growth corridor. New 4/2/2 packages typically $830,000–$1 million. Illustrative $950,000 package: about $51,500 cash in. Other Brisbane growth areas offer comparable pathways.

Melbourne and Victoria — for example, the western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong), with packages frequently $650,000–$850,000. Under $750,000 unlocks the full Victorian stack: on an illustrative $720,000 package, about $30,000 net cash in. Similar value exists across Victoria’s other growth corridors.

How does Low Deposit Homes help?

We build across Queensland and Victoria — from the Ipswich and Logan growth corridors in Brisbane to Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors and beyond — and match you to the area that fits your life, not the other way around. Our finance partners (licensed brokers) review your borrowing capacity and we work to find you the best option — and you get a full bank approval before you’re placed on any package. From there we find you the right new-build package — a 4/2/2 home with a multi-purpose room, no upselling. Worth knowing early: settlement is not handover — the land title transfers at settlement; the keys come at handover, often months later.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to buy in a particular suburb?
No. The corridors mentioned are examples of where we build and where the value is strong — we build across Queensland and Victoria and match you to the area that suits your work, family and budget.

Do I need to be a citizen to buy with these schemes?
No. Permanent residents access everything except Help to Buy from the day PR is granted.

Can a susu or tontine payout really count toward my deposit?
Yes, when documented and disclosed properly. Keep the paper trail and tell your broker.

I’m on a 491 visa — am I eligible?
Eligibility varies by scheme on a 491 — confirm with a broker; PR brings the full stack.

Does sending money home stop me buying?
No — remittances reduce capacity but don’t disqualify you.

Your next step

Book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll run your actual numbers.

Book your free call → Book your free call | 1800 920 172

Related reading: African & Sub-Saharan First Home Buyer Guide (pillar) · Nigerian First Home Buyer Guide · Community Savings Deposit Guide · NDIS Worker Home Loans.

Related guides: Queensland first home buyer guide · Victoria first home buyer guide · Grant Eligibility Calculator · Borrowing Power Calculator

Low Deposit Homes operates under Winning Homes Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 633 321 758). All calculations indicative. Not financial advice.