The Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF), the premier tourism and hotel investment conference in Africa, attracting prominent international hotel owners, investors, financiers, management companies and advisers, is scheduled to take place in Namibia from 25 to 27 June 2024. 

According to a statement from the organisers, the venue for the annual event will be the Mövenpick and Mercure hotels in Windhoek. Both properties are receiving a total makeover after they were acquired in 2021 by a fund managed by Kasada Capital Management, the leading independent real estate private equity platform dedicated to the hospitality industry in Africa. 

“Consequently, AHIF is expected to showcase the relaunch of both properties,” said the statement. For many delegates attending AHIF next year, the conference is expected to involve a “safari” in more ways than one. The weekend before AHIF will feature various inspection trips to see some of Namibia’s best hospitality investment projects and tourism attractions. 

They include spectacular desert scenery, awesome adventure sports and sensational safaris, on which it is possible to see endangered black and white rhino, antelope, cheetah, elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, ostriches and zebras.

The trips will not only be educational; they will also provide valuable networking opportunities as participants will also include delegates from AviaDev, Africa’s premier airline route development conference, which is scheduled at the same venue a week in advance. 

In the seven-year period prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Namibia’s tourism sector had shown consistent growth. 

According to environment, forestry and tourism ministry, Namibia’s visitor numbers grew by around 5% per annum, from just under 1.2 million in 2012 to 1.6 million in 2019. However, the pandemic pummelled the country’s tourism industry, with visitor arrivals in 2020 falling below 200 000. Since then, figures have recovered, by 40% in 2021; and then jumped by 98.1% to 461 027 in 2022. 

Nangula Uaandja, chairperson and chief executive officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), said: “Securing the bid to host AHIF 2024 is not just a win for Namibia, but also an affirmation of our national potential. 

“We are delighted to welcome the international hospitality investment community to explore the untapped investment potential of our tourism industry. Namibia is a strikingly beautiful country, with picturesque landscapes that are guaranteed to charm at first sight. 

“More than that, we are a country that is committed to developing our people by attracting foreign investments that catalyse economic activity and employment creation. Our government is deliberate about sustaining a conducive investment climate, supported by progressive regulatory and policy frameworks, a strong legal system, seamless repatriation of profits and an independent judiciary that protects the rights of all investors, and that allows disputes, if they arise, to be settled through the courts or international arbitration,” she said.  Located strategically in the Office of the President, the NIPDB serves as the first point of call for potential investors (local and foreign) wanting to do business in Namibia. The aim is to make Namibia the investment destination of choice by improving the ease of doing business here, starting with eliminating red tape and driving policy reforms. 

Ultimately the NIPDB exists to unlock opportunities that enable a better quality of life for all Namibians. It does this by facilitating trust relationships to attract and retain sustainable investment for private sector- led and inclusive economic growth. 

As part of its statutory mandate, the board also aims to improve Namibia’s competitiveness score, develop the required skills for sustainable investments that lead to job creation, and create an enabling ecosystem for MSMEs to thrive and scale. 

Olivier Granet, managing partner and CEO Kasada Capital Management said: “We are proud to be partnering with the Bench on AHIF 2024 and look forward to welcoming guests to Kasada’s newly refurbished and relaunched Mövenpick and Mercure hotels. The full refurbishment at Namibia’s leading hotel complexes and conference centre is a testament to our strategy of bringing capital and expertise to enhance the hospitality sector in key cities across Africa”. 

Matthew Weihs, managing director of The Bench, which organises AHIF, concluded: “We are very excited that AHIF will, for the first time, go to a SADC country next year. Investing in Africa is all about uncovering and seizing new opportunities. To do that, one needs to expand one’s horizons by going to different places, meeting new people, and exploring alternative scenarios. 

“By scheduling AHIF and AviaDev either side of a weekend in Windhoek and laying on a selection of inspection trips for our delegates, we will be doing just that, as well as offering them unrivalled networking, which is a vital ingredient of any conference,” he said.