African hotel development pipeline hits record high as high-performing markets drive growth

…Big five global chains account for 80% project

With 123,846 rooms across 675 hotels and resorts on the continent, Africa’s hotel development pipeline has hit a record high level, a development that represents year-on-year growth of 18.6 percent, or 12.2percent on a same-store basis.

The impressive feat was revealed by W Hospitality Group in its 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report, as the overall pipeline reflects strong continental expansion.

According to the report, the data show that development activity is increasingly concentrated in a small number of dominant markets, the Top 10 countries now account for 79 percent of total pipeline rooms and more than 75 percent of the new signings, reinforcing their growing influence on Africa’s hotel development trajectory.

Egypt, which sits atop of the Top 10, also leads with 45,984 rooms across 185 properties. The impressive number is more than one third of the entire African pipeline and over four times the number in second-placed Morocco, which has 10,606 rooms. Together, Egypt and Morocco account for more than 45 percent of the total pipeline rooms, and their share continues to grow due to the high volume of new signings. Egypt alone recorded 39 new deals last year and anticipates 33 openings in 2026, reinforcing its sustained development momentum.

As Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group comments, “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.”

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The Top 10 countries by number of rooms include:

Egypt with 185 hotels and 45,984 rooms; Morocco 75 hotels and 10,606 rooms; Nigeria 57 hotels and 8,480 rooms; Kenya 35 hotels and 6,190 rooms; Ethiopia 34 hotels and 5,964 rooms Cape Verde 17 hotels and 4,328 rooms; Tunisia 15 hotels and 4,189 rooms; Tanzania 29 rooms and 4,159 rooms; South Africa 31 hotels and 4,136 rooms and Ghana 26 hotels and 3,942 rooms.

But beyond the overall scale, the pipeline status data reveal that execution momentum is currently strongest in East Africa. Ethiopia and Kenya both have nearly 80 percent of their rooms under construction, closely followed by Tanzania at 77.5 percent.

The above compares with significantly lower proportions of projects under construction in markets such as Nigeria and Cape Verde. While North Africa dominates in overall volume, East Africa is leading in terms of projects actively progressing toward completion and near-term delivery.

What stands out this year, according to Ward, 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.”

However, at the operator level, the report noted that development activity remains highly concentrated among a small number of global brands. Marriott International leads with 31,782 rooms, followed by Hilton and Accor, with the Big Five global chains – including IHG and Radisson Hotel Group – accounting for around 80 percent of all pipeline hotels and rooms across Africa.

The report also noted that while more than 65,000 rooms are forecast to open in 2026 and 2027, historical actualisation rates suggest delivery may fall short of projections, highlighting the ongoing gap between ambition and execution.

The Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2026 also revealed anticipated opening years of pipeline deals as 183 hotels and 31,768 new rooms are expected to open in 2026; 177 hotels and 33,381 rooms for 2027; 131 hotels and 25,065 rooms in 2028 and 60 hotels and 11,001 anticipated to open in 2029.

A deeper analysis of the trends – including signings, construction progress and anticipated openings – will be presented at the Future Hospitality Summit Africa, taking place from March 31 to April 1, 2026, in Nairobi.