Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa 2025 comes to Cape Town from 17–19 June 2025, bringing together the most influential voices in hospitality investment, development, and sustainability from across the globe.
The speaker line-up for this year includes major investors and visionaries as well as strategists and dealmakers that are actively reshaping Africa’s hospitality industry.
William E. Heinecke is the founder of Minor Hotels and will speak at the summit. Self-made, Mr Heinecke launched his first company at the age of 17. He has since built one of world’s most respected hotel groups. His keynote will examine the lessons learned from that legacy, and what lies ahead 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.
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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). The speakers will share their unfiltered views on how to evaluate opportunities, manage risks, and unlock value over the long term in various 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.
Mark Read (former WWF SA chairman) and Dr Morne duPlessis (CEO of WWF South Africa), will discuss how the hospitality industry can make a positive contribution to environmental sustainability. Brooke Friswold, of Bring The Elephant home and Joe Pietersen, of Nkombe Rhino share their perspectives from the field on ecotourism.
Bani Haddad, Paul Gardiner, Thami Nkadimeng (CEO of Terra Nova), Tadiwos G.Belete (Kuriftu Resorts), Wayne Godwin, JLL Africa, Euan McGlashan, and others are also contributing to the conversation.
A Powerhouse of Investors
FHS Africa 2020 will again host the most active capital partners in the region, 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 across active projects, acquisitions, or greenfield development on the continent. FHS Africa has been a major catalyst for deal-making, with over $4 billion worth of hospitality deals being signed since its founding.
Matthew Weihs is the Commercial Director at Bench, which organizes FHS Africa.FHS Africa is coming to Cape Town, for the first ever. 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 dynamic and bold. It is focused on action..”
FHS Africa2025 offers unmatched opportunities to create meaningful relationships using various formats that are tailored for engagement. The event will feature a variety of formats, including speed networking sessions with high energy and investor councils that are curated behind closed doors. It will also include exclusive offsite trips showcasing Cape Town’s newest hospitality developments. The event includes a charity run that is aimed at the community, a fun way to meet other attendees while also supporting a good cause.
