Africa's Leading Hospitality Investors and Visionaries Come to Cape Town in June
This year's speaker lineup features major investors, visionaries, strategists, and dealmakers who are actively reshaping the landscape of hospitality across Africa.
William E. Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor Hotels, will headline the summit. A self-made entrepreneur who launched his first business at 17, Mr Heinecke has built one of the world's most respected hospitality groups. His keynote will explore the lessons behind that legacy and what's next for hotel expansion in Africa.
Guy Hutchinson, President of Hilton MEA, and Haitham Mattar, Managing Director of IHG for MEA&Southwest Asia, will delve into how global hotel groups adapt their strategies for Africa's evolving markets. Meanwhile, Jerome Briet (Chief Development Officer EMEA, Marriott International), Jean-Baptiste Recher (CDO Luxury Brands, Accor), and Esteban Lozada (MD North, West&South Africa, Hilton) will highlight expansion plans and pipeline insights from the region's top brands.
On the investment side, the programme features heavyweights like Folaseto Akin-Olugbade (Principal, Actis), Olivier Granet and David Damiba (Co-CEOs, Kasada Capital Management), Rahul Chaudhary (MD&CEO, CG Corp Global), Magdaline Osei Baffour (Investment Director, Westmont Hospitality Group), Nyawira Kariuki (CEO, Janus Continental Group), and Jameel Verjee (Founder&CEO, CityBlue Hotels). They'll share unfiltered insights on how they evaluate opportunities, manage risk, and unlock long-term value in different African markets.
Graham Wood (CEO, Sun International), Marcel von Aulock (CEO, Southern Sun), and Tony Romer-Lee (Managing Partner AMEA, Valor Hospitality Partners), David Green (CEO, V&A Waterfront) add further firepower to the operator perspective, joining sessions on operating strategies, sustainability, and navigating development constraints.
Conservation and tourism sustainability will also take centre stage with Dr Morne du Plessis (CEO, WWF South Africa) and Mark Read (former WWF SA Chairman) exploring how hospitality can be a vehicle for positive environmental impact. Brooke Friswold of Bring The Elephant Home and Joe Pietersen of Nkombe Rhino will share field perspectives on ecotourism's potential.
Other voices enriching the dialogue include Gillian Saunders, one of Africa's leading tourism consultants, Kevin Teeroovengadum (Proptech Africa), Thami Nkadimeng, Paul Gardiner (CEO, Terra Nova), Bani Haddad (Aleph Hospitality), Tadiwos G. Belete (Kuriftu Resorts), Euan McGlashan (Valor Hospitality), Wayne Godwin (JLL Africa), and many more.
An Investor Powerhouse
FHS Africa 2025 will once again host the region's most active capital partners, including:
Berkeley Properties, Cameroon Hotels Corporation, CityBlue Hotels, Cresta Marakanelo Limited, DEG, FROS Capital, Fundo Soberano de Angola, IFC, Janus Continental Group, Oak&Satin Properties, Proparco, Rockshieldburg-City, The Midwest Company, and UAG Investments.
Together, these investors represent billions in active projects, acquisitions, and greenfield development across the continent. With over $4 billion in hospitality deals signed at FHS Africa since its inception, the event remains a catalyst for serious deal-making and investment.
Matthew Weihs, Commercial Director of the Bench, which organises FHS Africa, said: ' We're incredibly proud to bring FHS Africa to Cape Town for the first time. It's a city that represents innovation, diversity, and growth — the perfect backdrop for an event that connects the brightest minds in hospitality and drives real investment across the continent. The 2025 programme is bold, dynamic, and focused on action."
FHS Africa 2025 promises unparalleled opportunities to build meaningful relationships through various formats tailored for real engagement. From high-energy speed networking sessions and curated closed-door investor councils to exclusive offsite visits showcasing Cape Town's latest hospitality developments, every moment is designed to foster strategic connections. The event also features a community-focused charity Run, offering a lighter way to meet other delegates while supporting a worthy cause.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Bench.
About FHS Africa:
For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality.
Strategic Partners: Accor, BWH Hotels, Hilton, Marriott International, IHG Hotels&Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group
Headline Sponsors: ACT, CHIC, Hansgrohe, TUI Hotels&Resorts
Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CityBlue Hotels, EQUATE, Knight Frank, JLL, St Helena Island, STR, TIME Hotels, TV5 Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners
Event Ambassadors: Develop Hotels Inc, Hotel Partners Africa, Voltere by Egis, W Hospitality Group
Official Carriers: Discover Airlines, Kenya Airways
Supported By: South Africa Tourism
About The Bench:
The Bench has a legacy of delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these events has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way businesses connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meetings for the industry.
For over two decades, government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel&tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners&investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines&aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups, and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events. These include FHS Africa, FHS World, FHS Saudi Arabia and AviaDev, where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right individuals, opportunities and knowledge.
Learn more at TheBench.com
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