Africa’s hospitality sector is entering a new growth phase, with hotel construction accelerating across the continent as tourism, business travel, and urban development continue to expand.
According to the Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026 report by W Hospitality Group, the continent’s top hotel development markets account for 504 hotel projects with a combined pipeline of 97,878 rooms. Of this total, 54,742 rooms, representing about 56% of the pipeline, are already under construction.
The renewed construction momentum is underpinned by improving travel demand in Africa’s tourism economy.
Africa recorded an 8% increase in international tourist arrivals in 2025 compared with 2024, the strongest growth rate globally, according to UN Tourism.
The agency’s World Tourism Barometer shows the continent welcomed about 81 million international tourists in 2025.
Investors and global hotel brands are increasingly betting on Africa, from luxury resorts to business hotels.
Nairametrics reported on some of West Africa’s largest hotels, which include major hospitality landmarks like Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Rock City Hotel in Ghana, and Eko Hotels & Suites, which rank among the region’s biggest properties in terms of total room inventory.
Together, these top ten countries account for about 79% of all hotel rooms currently planned or being built in Africa, showing that most hotel investment on the continent is happening in a few fast-growing destinations.
Here are the top 10 African countries leading hotel construction projects by number of pipeline rooms.
Cape Verde ranks sixth on the list with 17 hotel projects totaling 4,328 pipeline rooms. However, the island nation has a low construction activity among the top markets, with only 374 rooms currently under development
Despite the slower pace of project execution, Cape Verde continues to attract interest from international hospitality investors due to its strong tourism fundamentals.
The country has become one of Africa’s fastest-growing island tourism destinations, with large resort developments typically concentrated on Sal and Boa Vista islands, where most international flights and beachfront resorts are located.
According to the World Bank report, the country’s tourist arrivals grew by 16.5%, recording around 1.18 million tourist arrivals in 2024.
Much of this visitor traffic comes from European markets, particularly the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal, with tourists drawn by the archipelago’s year-round warm climate, beach resorts, and growing reputation as an affordable alternative to Caribbean island destinations.
Large resort developments have played a major role in shaping Cape Verde’s hospitality sector, with hotel groups like RIU Hotels & Resorts, Meliá Hotels International, Hilton, and Barceló Hotel Group catering to international leisure travelers in the country.
