Africa’s hotel pipeline is set to exceed 104,000 rooms in 2025 as global chains continue their expansion, according to a new report.
Among the top 10 African countries, Ethiopia has the highest ratio of rooms “on site,” followed by Morocco and Ghana.
This year’s Hotel Development Pipeline report, the definitive study of international hotel projects across Africa, reveals record levels of activity, with 577 hotels and resorts comprising 104,444 rooms in the development pipeline—an increase of 13.3% compared to 2024, far outpacing the single-digit growth observed globally among leading international chains.
The report, compiled by Lagos-based W Hospitality Group using data from 50 international and regional hotel chains, shows impressive development growth in North Africa, which saw a 23% year-over-year increase, compared to 6% in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Over the past five years, the hotel development pipeline has grown at an annualized rate of 4% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 12% in North Africa, and 7% overall.
Egypt leads the continent in hotel development, with 143 hotels and 33,926 rooms in the pipeline. That’s nearly four times the number of rooms in second-place Morocco, which has 8,579 rooms across 58 hotels.
The next eight countries, ranked by number of rooms, include:
• Nigeria: 7,320
• Ethiopia: 5,648
• Cape Verde: 5,565
• Kenya: 4,344
• Tunisia: 4,336
• South Africa: 4,076
• Tanzania: 3,432
• Ghana: 3,125
International hotel chains have signed agreements in 42 of Africa’s 54 countries, the report states.
Among the top 10 countries, Ethiopia has the highest percentage of rooms already under construction, followed by Morocco and Ghana. Cape Verde, Nigeria, and Tanzania have some of the lowest percentages.
Cities and resort areas with the largest pipelines in terms of room count include:
• Lagos: 3,709
• Boa Vista: 3,650
• Addis Ababa: 3,369
• Casablanca: 2,939
• Accra: 2,652
• Abuja: 2,570
• Zanzibar: 2,523
• Dakar: 2,334
The full report will be presented at FHS Africa (formerly AHIF), taking place June 17–19 in Cape Town. This flagship regional hospitality investment conference brings together high-level decision-makers to shape the future of the industry.
