Cape Verde Among Africa's Top Hotel Development Destinations in 2025
Cape Verde is among the five African countries with the highest number of hotel rooms under development in 2025, totaling 5,565. The growth of the hotel sector on the continent was 13.3%, with Egypt and North African countries standing out. Large chains such as Marriott and Hilton are leading investments, and there is a growing focus on high-end hotels.
The tourism sector in Africa is booming, with a growth of 13.3% in hotel development by 2025. According to the new report Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa 2025, drawn up by W Hospitality Group, the continent currently has 577 hotels and 104,444 rooms under construction or with contracts signed with large hotel chains.
Among the highlights of the report, Cape Verde ranks as the 5th African country with the most hotel rooms under development, totaling 5,565 rooms. This mark puts the archipelago ahead of countries such as Tunisia, South Africa and Ghana, reflecting a strategic boost for the Cape Verdean tourism sector.
This expansion is especially relevant for a country that relies heavily on tourism as an economic engine. Investment in hotel infrastructure can generate jobs, attract new tourists and strengthen Cape Verde's position as a destination of excellence in West Africa.
Most of the growth was driven by North Africa, with Egypt leading the way with 143 projects and more than 33,000 rooms - representing almost a third of the African total. Morocco, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Cape Verde complete the top five in terms of the number of rooms under construction.
All in all, 42 African countries have active hotel projects, 4 in North Africa and 38 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Still, 12 countries did not report any initiatives, such as Libya, Sudan and Burundi.
Global hotel chains are behind most of the investments. Marriott International leads the way with 165 hotels (29,639 rooms), followed by Hilton, Accor, IHG and Radisson. Together, these five brands account for almost 73% of all hotel projects on the continent.
Most of the projects are focused on high-end hotels: 191 hotels in the "upscale" category, 178 in the "upper-upscale" segment and 96 in "luxury".
Another relevant piece of data is the increase in the so-called realization rate - that is, the percentage of planned projects that actually go into construction. This rate jumped from 21% in 2023 to 38% in 2024, signaling a robust recovery in the sector after the pandemic.
