Africa’s top hospitality investors will gather at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa 2025 from June 17 to 19 in Cape Town. The summit brings together investors, hoteliers, and sustainability leaders shaping the future of African hospitality. These voices will explore risk, growth, and innovation.
This year’s edition of FHS Africa will feature William E. Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor Hotels, as the headline keynote speaker.
Mr Heinecke, a self-made business magnate, will share lessons from his global success and vision for African hotel sector expansion. Joining him will be top hotel executives including President Hilton MEA Guy Hutchinson and Managing Director IHG MEA Haitham Mattar. They will examine how international hospitality brands tailor strategies to Africa’s diverse and evolving consumer and investor environments.
Chief Development Officer Marriott International Jerome Briet and Accor’s Jean-Baptiste Recher will offer insights into luxury brand rollouts and local market pipelines. From Hilton, Esteban Lozada, Managing Director North, West & South Africa, will discuss operational priorities in key gateway cities across the continent.
Investment experts will also take centre stage. These include Principal Actis Folaseto Akin-Olugbade and Co-CEOs Kasada Capital Olivier Granet and David Damiba.
They will explain how they evaluate markets, manage financial risk, and identify long-term investment opportunities amid regional volatility and demographic shifts.
Managing Director CG Corp Global Rahul Chaudhary and Magdaline Osei Baffour of Westmont Hospitality Group will expand on deal structures and value creation.
Africa’s top hospitality investors—our four word focus key phrase—will also be represented by leaders like Nyawira Kariuki of Janus Continental Group.
Jameel Verjee, Founder of CityBlue Hotels, will share success stories from mid-market hotel models across East and West African corridors.
From the operational side, top CEOs will unpack strategy. Sun International CEO Graham Wood will join Southern Sun’s Marcel von Aulock and others.
David Green of V\&A Waterfront and Tony Romer-Lee of Valor Hospitality will discuss asset growth, rebranding challenges, and operating across multiple jurisdictions.
Sustainability takes centre stage too. WWF South Africa CEO Dr Morne du Plessis and former WWF Chair Mark Read will highlight ecotourism’s transformative impact.
Brooke Friswold of Bring the Elephant Home and Joe Pietersen of Nkombe Rhino will speak about the intersection of conservation and hospitality.
Other panellists include Gillian Saunders, one of Africa’s most respected tourism consultants, and Kevin Teeroovengadum of Proptech Africa.
Tadiwos G. Belete of Kuriftu Resorts and Bani Haddad of Aleph Hospitality will present on creating Afrocentric luxury experiences with local relevance.
The 2025 edition promises more than content. There will be curated networking sessions, closed-door investment councils, and offsite project showcases in Cape Town.
Africa’s top hospitality investors will network with institutions like IFC, Proparco, DEG, Fundo Soberano de Angola, UAG Investments, and The Midwest Company.
Collectively, these investors oversee billions in existing and upcoming projects. Since inception, FHS Africa has enabled over \$4 billion in signed deals.
Commercial Director of the Bench, Matthew Weihs, says Cape Town is the perfect setting for hospitality’s most dynamic summit.
“It’s a city of innovation and potential,” he said. “Our programme will deliver bold ideas and practical connections for the African market.”
FHS Africa 2025 aims to create genuine connections and impactful collaboration through every panel, roundtable, and one-on-one investor interaction.
This summit reinforces Cape Town’s emerging role as a launchpad for sustainable hospitality growth and strategic hotel development in Africa.
Whether unlocking finance or scaling hotel pipelines, Africa’s top hospitality investors will be central to conversations at this landmark event.
