As Media Partner of FHS Africa, Breaking Travel News sat down with a number of key delegates to hear their perspective on the market and where it is heading next. In this interview, we speak to Rose Diaz, Global Director, Commercial & Real Estate Capital Markets at Maison 71, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered global real estate and commercial advisory firm, to discuss investor sentiment, hospitality-led development, and the long-term opportunity across Africa.
What has stood out most to you at FHS Africa so far, and what does it say about the mood of the market?
What stands out most is the shift in the quality of the conversation.
For many years Africa’s hospitality narrative was framed around potential. What we are hearing now is a far more mature dialogue around capital structures, operational platforms, destination development and long term land value.
There is also a growing recognition that nature itself carries economic value and an undeniable global appeal. In an article I wrote last year I explored this idea in a global context, from Patagonia to the Scottish Highlands. Yet Africa holds some of the world’s most extraordinary natural assets, from wildlife corridors to coastlines and biodiversity ecosystems that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Hospitality, when structured intelligently, can become the commercial layer that allows those landscapes to generate economic value while protecting them. It creates a model in which conservation, tourism and community development reinforce one another rather than compete.
This thinking is increasingly relevant as natural capital markets begin to take shape globally. The voluntary carbon market alone is projected to exceed fifty billion dollars annually by 2030, while biodiversity credits, water markets and other ecosystem service mechanisms are evolving alongside it.
As these markets mature, hospitality may become one of the most practical ways to connect investors, communities and travellers within a shared economic and environmental framework.
When you look at Africa today, do you see one market, or a collection of very different opportunities that investors need to understand market by market?
It is very clearly a collection of distinct markets.
Africa cannot be approached as a single investment thesis. Each country operates with its own regulatory frameworks, infrastructure realities and demand drivers.
Investors who succeed here tend to approach the continent with a high degree of nuance. They understand the specific dynamics of individual markets and build partnerships locally.
In that sense Africa behaves much more like Europe or Asia than many outsiders initially assume. It is a network of very different investment environments rather than a single homogeneous market.
What are the biggest misconceptions international investors still have about Africa’s hospitality and real estate story?
One misconception is that risk in Africa is primarily structural or continental in nature.
In reality, the risk profile varies significantly from market to market. Political stability, currency exposure, regulatory clarity and infrastructure all differ widely across the continent.
Another misconception is that hospitality development here is purely a tourism play. In many cases hospitality acts as a catalyst for broader economic activity. It supports infrastructure development, creates employment and often anchors wider destination ecosystems.
From the conversations you are having in Nairobi, where is the smartest capital looking first, city hotels, resorts, mixed use, branded residences, or something else?
The most sophisticated capital is increasingly looking beyond single assets and toward ecosystems.
City hotels in major business hubs will continue to attract investment because they provide predictable demand. However many of the most interesting conversations here revolve around projects that combine hospitality with conservation, wellness, cultural programming or residential components.
At the same time there is a growing recognition that infrastructure investment will be fundamental to unlocking the next phase of development across the continent. Airports, transport corridors, energy systems and digital connectivity all play a critical role in turning destinations into investable markets.
How important is branded real estate likely to become in Africa over the next five to ten years?
Branded residences are likely to play an increasingly important role as certain destinations mature.
They offer a powerful financing mechanism for developers by combining residential sales with hospitality operations. At the same time they provide buyers with access to professionally managed lifestyle environments and the service standards associated with global hospitality brands.
In Africa there is an additional dimension. Many developments are anchored in extraordinary natural settings, whether coastal landscapes, conservation areas or emerging lifestyle destinations. Branded residential projects therefore have the opportunity to connect brand identity with a broader narrative around nature, stewardship and place.
For brands and developers alike, that storytelling can be very powerful. It allows the values associated with the brand to align with themes that increasingly matter to global consumers, including sustainability, authenticity and connection to the natural environment.
As Africa continues to develop new destinations and international tourism flows increase, the branded residential model will likely become more prominent in carefully selected markets.
Where are you seeing the strongest crossover between hotel development and residential led opportunity?
The strongest crossover tends to appear in destination driven environments.
Coastal regions, conservation landscapes and emerging lifestyle hubs often lend themselves naturally to hospitality combined with residential ownership.
In these settings the hotel provides the operational ecosystem, from services and programming to wellness and food and beverage, while residential ownership allows investors or second home buyers to participate in the destination over the long term.
What makes Africa compelling right now for globally mobile investors, and what still needs to improve to unlock more capital at scale?
Africa offers a combination that is increasingly rare in the global real estate landscape.
It has extraordinary natural assets, significant demographic growth and many destinations that remain relatively underdeveloped compared with global tourism markets.
At the same time capital deployment at scale still requires improvements in project preparation, regulatory clarity and capital market frameworks. Investors need predictable environments and bankable projects.
As those frameworks continue to evolve, the volume of capital directed toward the continent is likely to grow significantly.
Which markets or sub regions do you think are moving fastest in terms of hospitality ambition, institutional confidence and development readiness?
East Africa continues to attract attention because of its extraordinary conservation landscapes and international tourism appeal.
Countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia are increasingly positioning tourism as a strategic sector for long term economic development. Both have begun investing in national tourism narratives, infrastructure and conservation led destination building.
Mozambique is also emerging as a compelling opportunity along the Indian Ocean coastline. Its coastal ecosystems, marine biodiversity and relatively low density development profile create the conditions for distinctive resort destinations.
Across these markets there is a growing recognition that conservation and tourism can operate together as part of a long term economic model.
What separates the African projects that attract serious international attention from those that struggle to get funded?
Clarity and credibility.
Investors look for projects that demonstrate a clear understanding of land structures, operational strategy and long term demand drivers.
Projects that combine strong feasibility work, experienced operators and compelling locations tend to capture attention quickly.
In many cases the most successful developments are those that align commercial returns with conservation or community outcomes. When those elements reinforce one another the investment thesis becomes much stronger.
After this week at FHS Africa, what is your clearest takeaway, and where do you think the biggest commercial opportunity lies for those willing to move early and think long term?
My clearest takeaway is that hospitality in Africa is increasingly being understood as a catalyst rather than a standalone sector.
Well structured hospitality projects have the ability to unlock entire landscapes. They create infrastructure, generate employment and can provide a financial model that supports conservation at scale.
In that sense some of the most compelling opportunities on the continent sit at the intersection of hospitality, land stewardship and destination development.
Those who understand that dynamic and are willing to think in decades rather than development cycles will likely find the most meaningful opportunities.