Africa’s Hotel Development Pipeline Reaches a Record Level

According to the Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026 report by W Hospitality Group, hotel investments across Africa continue to grow. The continent currently has 123,846 rooms across 675 hotel and resort projects, representing 18.6% year-on-year growth.

Development activity is increasingly concentrated in a limited number of markets. Egypt leads the pipeline with 45,984 rooms across 185 properties, accounting for more than one-third of the entire African pipeline. Morocco follows with 10,606 rooms, while the top ten countries represent 79% of all pipeline rooms on the continent.

Regionally, East Africa stands out for its strong construction momentum. Around 80% of pipeline rooms in Ethiopia and Kenya are already under construction, while Tanzania has 77.5% of its projects actively progressing. This indicates that much of the new hotel supply in the short to medium term is expected to come from East African markets.

At the brand level, Marriott International leads with 31,782 rooms, followed by Hilton and Accor. The five largest global hotel chains – Marriott, Hilton, Accor, IHG and Radisson – account for nearly 80% of all pipeline hotels and rooms across Africa.

More than 65,000 new rooms are expected to open in 2026 and 2027, although historical delivery rates suggest some projects may not be completed on schedule.

Further insights into these trends will be presented at the Future Hospitality Summit Africa, taking place 31 March – 1 April 2026 in Nairobi.