Published on 21 Oct 2025

Singapore hotelier eyes new high-end hotels in Africa

Banyan Group is looking to expand its presence in the continent as travel booms

Banyan Tree Hotel in Morocco. Photo source: Banyan Tree

Singapore-based hotel operator Banyan Group is seeking to expand its presence in Africa, joining a wave of global hospitality brands looking to meet demand for tourism and business travel on the continent.

Founded in 1994 with an eco-resort in Phuket, Banyan Group is known for luxury properties that integrate elements of wellness, local culture and natural settings. The company recently appointed a new development director, based in Cape Town, to lead its African expansion.

The group already operates in Morocco, where it manages a resort on the country’s north coast and a collection of riads in Marrakech, and in Mauritius, where it provides management services for another hotel brand under a white-label agreement.

Banyan Group currently has three properties under development in Africa. Later this year, it is expected to open its first safari resort in Ruaha National Park, central Tanzania. The group is also developing a Dhawa-branded property in Benin and another resort on an island in northern Mozambique.

According to Geri Flanagan, Banyan Group’s development director for Africa, the group aims to open resorts and lodges in harder-to-reach parts of the continent that are not on the radar of other operators. She cited South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya as possible locations, along with more unique destinations such as northern Angola, Cameroon and The Gambia.

The company’s expansion comes amid a broader surge in hotel investment across Africa. Research by W Hospitality Group shows that at the start of 2025, 577 new international and regional-branded hotels, comprising 104,444 rooms, were under development on the continent – a 13.3% increase from 2024. This growth outpaces the single-digit pipeline expansion reported globally by major international chains.

However, the development boom is uneven. Based on the number of rooms, the pipeline in North Africa rose 23% year on year, while sub-Saharan Africa recorded a more modest 6% increase. Measured by city and resort area, Greater Cairo in Egypt has the largest hotel pipeline, followed by Sharm El Sheikh, also in Egypt, and Lagos in Nigeria. The island resort of Boa Vista in Cape Verde ranks fourth, while Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, is in fifth place.

The continent’s hotel development activity remains concentrated among a handful of global brands. Marriott International, Hilton, Accor, Radisson Hotel Group and IHG Hotels & Resorts represent 70% of all hotels in Africa’s pipeline. While many industry observers point to significant unmet demand for economy and midscale accommodation, about 85% of new developments are positioned in the upscale segment or above.

The Travel Tourism sector accounts for one in four of all new jobs created in the world. It employs almost 357 million people and is estimated to be worth more than US$11 trillion. Africa has the potential to emerge as a leading Tourist and Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) destination in the world. It boasts some of the world's most breathtaking landscapes, unparalleled wildlife and a culture of friendliness and hospitality that matches the best in Asia. Yet, it receives only a fraction of international travellers. The travel and tourism sector, however, is growing at a healthy pace. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) the sector could create up to 14 million jobs in the next 10 years.