Africa’s hotel development pipeline reaches record high as East Africa leads construction activity

The latest Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report for 2026 by W Hospitality Group records a total of 123,846 rooms across 675 hotels and resorts currently in development across the continent. The figure represents year-on-year growth of 18.6%, or 12.2% on a same-store basis.

Although the pipeline reflects strong overall expansion, development activity is increasingly concentrated in a limited number of key markets. The top ten countries account for 79% of all pipeline rooms and more than 75% of new signings, highlighting their growing role in shaping Africa’s hotel development landscape.

Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026
Top 10 countries by number of rooms

Egypt leads the pipeline with 45,984 rooms across 185 properties, representing more than one third of the entire African pipeline and more than four times the number recorded in second-placed Morocco, which has 10,606 rooms in development. Together, Egypt and Morocco account for more than 45% of total pipeline rooms, with both markets continuing to attract a significant share of new signings.

Egypt recorded 39 new development deals in the past year and expects 33 hotel openings during 2026, reinforcing its position as the continent’s most active hotel development market.

Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group, said: “The data clearly show that Africa’s hotel development story is being driven by a handful of high-performing markets, with Egypt firmly at the forefront in both signings and projected openings.”

Beyond the overall pipeline scale, the report highlights strong construction momentum in East Africa. Ethiopia and Kenya both report nearly 80% of their pipeline rooms currently under construction, followed by Tanzania with 77.5%.

Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026
Top 10 countries by pipeline status

These figures contrast with lower construction ratios in markets such as Nigeria and Cape Verde. While North Africa accounts for the largest share of pipeline volume, East Africa shows the highest proportion of projects actively progressing toward completion.

Ward added: “What stands out this year is the strength of East Africa in terms of projects moving forward. Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania show some of the highest construction ratios on the continent, which suggests that this is where we are likely to see new supply coming through in the short to medium term.”

At the operator level, development activity remains concentrated among a small number of international hotel groups. Marriott International leads the pipeline with 31,782 rooms, followed by Hilton and Accor. Together with IHG and Radisson Hotel Group, the five largest global hotel chains account for around 80% of all pipeline hotels and rooms across Africa.

The report forecasts that more than 65,000 rooms could open across the continent during 2026 and 2027. However, historical actualisation rates indicate that the number of completed projects may fall below these projections, reflecting the continuing gap between announced developments and final delivery.

Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026
Anticipated opening years of pipeline deals

A detailed analysis of pipeline trends, including new signings, construction progress and expected openings, will be presented during the upcoming Future Hospitality Summit Africa, scheduled to take place from 31 March to 1 April in Nairobi.

Vicky Karantzavelou