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17-19 June 2025
The Westin Cape Town, South Africa
Content library
Videos
Setting the Scene: Assessing Market Dynamics through an Investor's Lens
Wayne Godwin, Co-Chief Executive Officer at JLL Africa and Head of JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group, Africa, provided key insights into the region’s market dynamics, evaluating them from an investor's perspective.
Government Initiatives to support the Hospitality Industry
Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor at CBS News, led a compelling conversation with Hon. Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism for Nigeria, and Hon. Pohamba Penomwenyo Shifeta, Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism for Namibia. They discussed the key government strategies and initiatives aimed at strengthening the hospitality sector in their respective countries.
Setting the Scene for Destination & Hotel Development in Africa
Philip Wooller, Senior Director at STR, provided key insights into the evolving landscape of destination and hotel development across Africa, focusing on trends, opportunities, and challenges shaping the region’s growth.
Africa in the New Global Geopolitical Order: The Impact on the Hospitality Industry
Lullu Krugel, Partner at Strategy& and PwC South Africa’s Chief Economist, explored how recent shifts in the global geopolitical landscape have impacted Africa’s hospitality sector, highlighting changes in investment and sustainability.
Hospitality Tech: Innovation The New Efficiency
Olivier Hennion, Managing Director, IT Hospitality Group was in conversation with Chakib Achour, Chief Strategy Officer, Huawei Morocco and Fatuma Gloria Kazungu, Digital Communications Manager, CityBlue Hotels.
Leveraging National Branding Opportunities
Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder and Chairman, APO Group was in conversation with Jason Jennings, Group Chief Operations Officer, Event Horizon, Nelly Mukazayire, Chief Executive Officer , Rwanda Convention Bureau, John Manyo-Plange, Head of Strategy & Operations for the Basketball Africa League , Basketball Africa League, Kyle Scofield, Director , QA Venue Solutions and Robins Tchale-Watchou, CEO, Vivendi Sports. They discussed the power of mega events and how to leverage national branding opportunities.
Whose Life Is It Anyway? Lifestyle Hotels: The What, Why & How
'Lifestyle Hotels' has become an industry buzzword, alongside 'Boutique', and 'Design'. But what are Lifestyle Hotels, why have they risen in prominence and what are the key success factors that have led several to outperform their more established rivals? Highlighting experiences from their own outperforming hotels James, & Paul unpick the Lifestyle label and give first-hand and practical advice on how to become a Lifestyle leader.
Bleisure, Staycations And The Death Of International Business Travel
Theo Bortoluzzi, Business Development Manager, Kerten Hospitality was in conversation with James Britchford, Vice President Commercial IMEA, IHG Hotels & Resorts. They discussed bleisure, and staycations, buzzwords of the industry.
The Risks, Trends And Opportunities In Resort Development
David Harper, Head of Property Services, Hotel Partners Africa was in conversation with Abbass Azouzi, Chief Executive Officer, H Partners, Mohammed Cherkaoui Eddeqaqi, Directeur général, Taghazout Bay / SAPST, Reda Faceh, Vice President Development Northern & Western Africa, Accor and Esteban Lozada, Senior Director Development France & North Africa, Hilton. They discussed the rise in interest in Resorts post pandemic and the risks, trends and opportunities associated with them.
New Perspectives For Tourism Destination Development | Reinvention of a destination
Daniel Silke, Director, Political Futures Consulting was in conversation with Natalia Bayona, Director Innovation, Education and Investments, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Hamid Bentahar, President, CNT National Confederation of Tourism – Morocco, Basma Kharbach, Portfolio Manager North-Center Region, Madaëf and Omar Jaïd, Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Crown
Domestic Tourism And Its Advantages
Trevor Ward, Principal , W Hospitality Group was in conversation with Dami Adepoju, Director, Development – West Africa , Marriott International, Erwan Garnier, Senior Director Development - Africa, Radisson Hotel Group and Amos Wekesa, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Safaris
Franchise vs. Management Debate: Why Franchise Makes Sense Today
Scott Antel, Hospitality and Franchise Lawyer, Scotts FZ LLE was in conversation with Farhan Charaniya, Managing Director, GHSP FZCO, Bani Haddad, Founder, Managing Director, Aleph Hospitality, & Amith Khanna, Head of Franchise, IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Mixed-Use Projects: A Boom For Hospitality Developers During Recovery
Janice Mitten, Partner, Studio Moren was in conversation with Mohamed Awadalla, Chief Executive Officer, Time Hotels, Billy Cheung, Chairman of the Board, Century Park Hotels and Residences Ltd and Hala Matar Choufany, President - Middle East, Africa & South Asia, HVS
How To Become More Commercially Minded, Securing And Packaging Opportunities In A Successful Manner
Mark Dunford, CEO, Knight Frank Kenya was in conversation with Ewan Cameron, Director - Africa, Westmont Hospitality Group, Norman Fon Sing, Head of Corporate Domestic Banking, SBM Bank Mauritius, & Lotfi Lebbar, Principal Investments , European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). They discussed ways to become more commercially minded and how to secure opportunities in a successful manner.
Where Do Global Operators See Opportunities In The Current Landscape?
Dani Mansour, Head of Project and Development Services - Africa, JLL spoke with Rose Bakri, Chief Operating Officer - GTAF, Louvre Hotels Group, Karim Cheltout, Regional Vice President - Lodging Development, Africa & All-Inclusive EMEA, Marriott International, Carlos Khneisser, VP Development MEA, Hilton, and Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President & Head of Development - Africa & Turkey, Radisson Hotel Group on where global operators see opportunities in the current landscape
Hospitality Is Bouncing Back: How To Finance The Rebound?
Nick van Marken, Managing Director, van Marken Limited discussed with Olivier Granet, Managing Partner & Chief Executive Officer, Kasada Capital Management the bouncing back of hospitality and how to finance this rebound.
Investors Panel: What Is The Vision For Africa?
Wayne Godwin, Head of East Africa & Indian Ocean, SVP Hotels & Hospitality Group, JLL moderated the session between Sofia Lopez Benhamida, Managing Director, RISMA, David Damiba, Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Kasada Capital Management, Jameel Verjee, Founder & CEO, CItyBlue Hotels (The Diar Group), Hamid Sidine, Chief Operating Officer, Millenium Hotels MEA & Chief Operating Officer Asset Management, Tetra Hospitality Investment LLC.
Pipeline Review - What Is Coming In The Market?
Trevor Ward, Principal, W Hospitality Group shared insights from his annual pipelines report.
Fireside Chat with AHIF Award Winner for Leadership
Nick van Marken, Managing Director, van Marken Limited was in conversation with Olivier Granet, Managing Partner & Chief Executive Officer, Kasada Capital Management who won the AHIF award for leadership.
Fireside Chat with AHIF Award Winner for Outstanding Contribution to Africa
Rajan Datar, Host, BBC Travel Show & BBC World News was in conversation with Amos Wekesa, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Safaris. Amos was granted the AHIF outstanding contributions to Africa award. He shared stories from his life struggle and his passion for promoting hospitality in Africa.
CASE STUDY: Benefits Of FDI Contributing To The Regeneration Of The Casablanca and Rabat CBD
Ewan Cameron, Director - Africa, Westmont Hospitality Group & Youssef Chraibi, Founder and Managing Partner, MAGESPRO Africa discussed the benefits of foreign direct investment contributing to the regeneration of the Casablanca & Rabat CBD in a case study presentation
What Has Changed For Africa? A look at the Numbers
Thomas Emanuel, Senior Director, STR gave a detailed statistical analysis on what has changed for the African hospitality industry in the recent years.
Global Economic Outlook With A View On Africa
Pat Thaker, Chief Economist, The Economist Intelligence Unit deep dived into the global economic outlook with a focused view on Africa. The session provided valuable insights on the direction in which global and regional economies are headed.
Global Air Connectivity – A Catalyst For Hospitality Development
Rajan Datar, Host, BBC Travel Show & BBC World News was in conversation with Abdelhamid Addou, President Director General, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Royal Air Maroc on Global Air Connectivity as a Catalyst For Hospitality Development
SMIT Morocco & V Holding from Saudi Arabia to develop hotel investments in Morocco
Signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between SMIT Morocco and V Holding from Saudi Arabia to develop hotel investments in Morocco Signed by: Imad Barrakad, CEO & Chairman, Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development Ahmad Salah Alhoraibi, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Director, V Holding
Hotel & Tourism Potential In Africa: What Can Be Done By The Public Sector To Provide Further Tourism Incentives?
Daniel Silke, Director, Political Futures Consulting was in conversation with Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Minister of Tourism, Crafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Kingdom of Morocco, Mohammed Abdeljalil, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Kingdom of Morocco and Karim Achengli, Head, Souss Massa Region
WEBINAR: COVID-19 in Africa - An investor spotlight on tourism and hospitality
The webinar provides an overview of the hospitality market trends and give comparisons with previous emergencies. Discussions surrounding responding to and mitigating the impact on hospitality and tourism as well as assessing how we can prepare now for post-pandemic activity
AHIF Webinar: The Big Picture - COVID-19 Impact on the African Economy
Where does Africa fit into the pandemic crisis? What is the outlook?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: The AHIF Creating Impact Awards
#AHIF once again recognized individuals for their outstanding leadership and overall contribution to the hospitality industry in Africa during AHIF 2019
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: The APO Interview Series - Issam Chleuh
Hear from one of Forbes' most Promising Young Entrepreneurs in Africa on his journey to becoming a Thought Leader who pioneered impact investing in Africa. Find out how his programmes, initiatives and investments have contributed to the development of businesses across the continent, generating measurable social and environmental impact. What are his views on the current underlying business trends? How can companies incorporate these into their strategies?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Supporting the Next Generation of Talent in Hospitality
A conversation on how the hospitality industry is helping young people build better lives through the Youth Career Initiative, in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages and hotels in Addis Ababa.
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: The Conservation Panel
A discussion on the hotel and leisure industry's conservation efforts in the region. How can hotels create positive impact for the environment, wildlife and local communities while remaining commercially successful and sustainable from a business perspective and generate ROI for their owners?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: The Owner/Operator Panel
A look at the dynamics between owners and operators and how they are evolving. What are the best ways to maintain a mutually-beneficial relationship?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Hot Seat Series - Gaurav Bhushan
An overview of Accor’s strategy for Africa, from their billion-dollar investment fund to the launch of their new lifestyle loyalty programme ALL, and more. What is Accor doing to improve the overall customer experience globally, and how is this driving development for the brand in the region?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Finance Forum
Commercial Banks and DFIs – what does it take for them to provide funding for hotel projects?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: One-to-one interview with Haile Gebreselassie
A conversation with athlete-turned-businessman Haile Gebreselassie on his plans for the growth of Haile Hotels and Resorts in the region.
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: One-on-one Interview with Estelle Verdier-Watine, Head of Travel, Jumia Group
A conversation on the future of OTAs and their impact on the hotel industry in the region. Hear from Africa’s leading e-commerce platform on their plans for the growth of Jumia Travel, and the opportunities it will bring for the development of hospitality and tourism across the continent.
AHIF 2019 Stage Session - Building Your Own Brand In Africa
What are the benefits of 'Going it Alone' versus aligning yourself with an existing regional or international brand? A look at the value of a unique positioning, and the importance of creating a brand-led organisational culture and integrated brand-centred guest experience.
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: The 2019 Annual Pipelines Report by Trevor Ward
Listen to Trevor Ward, Managing Director at W Hospitality Group as he shares his insights from the annual pipelines report of 2019
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Hot Seat Series - Olivier Granet
An update from the largest hospitality-dedicated fund in Africa on their strategies for the continent. What deals have been made and what opportunities is Kasada Capital Management looking for?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Epidemic Risk - What you need to know
What can governments and the private sector do against the financial risk caused by epidemic outbreaks?
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Growing The Footprint In Africa
Regional Leaders of the biggest International Brands discuss their growth strategies for Africa.
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: Update on Hotel Performance In Africa
Listen to Thomas Emanuel, Director at STR, as he provides insights on the performance of the hotel industry in Africa ....
AHIF 2019 Stage Session: African Tourism and Connectivity
A discussion on the visions and strategies for the development of Africa’s travel and tourism
AHIF 2019 Highlights
Watch the highlights from the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum 2019 edition.....