Africa’s hotel development pipeline has climbed to a record 123,846 rooms across 675 hotels and resorts, with East Africa posting some of the highest shares of rooms under construction, according to the 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report by W Hospitality Group released on March 10, 2026 in Cape Town.

The report shows year-on-year pipeline growth of 18.6%, or 12.2% on a same-store basis, and indicates that hotel development is increasingly concentrated in a small number of markets. W Hospitality Group said the top 10 countries now account for 79% of total pipeline rooms and more than 75% of new signings.

Kenya ranked fourth by pipeline rooms, with 6,190 rooms across 35 hotels. Ethiopia ranked fifth with 5,964 rooms across 34 hotels, while Tanzania ranked eighth with 4,159 rooms across 29 hotels, underlining East Africa’s continued relevance to Africa’s hotel investment map.

The largest pipeline remains in North Africa. Egypt led the continent with 45,984 rooms across 185 properties—more than one-third of the entire pipeline and more than four times Morocco’s 10,606 rooms. W Hospitality Group said Egypt and Morocco together account for more than 45% of total pipeline rooms, supported by new signings. The report said Egypt recorded 39 new deals last year and anticipates 33 openings in 2026.

“The data clearly show that Africa’s hotel development story is being driven by a handful of high-performing markets, with Egypt firmly at the forefront in both signings and projected openings,” said Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group, in comments cited in the release.

While North Africa leads in total volume, the report said execution momentum is strongest in East Africa. Kenya has 4,922 rooms under construction out of a 6,190-room pipeline, representing 79.5%, while Ethiopia has 4,768 rooms under construction (79.9%). Tanzania follows with 3,222 rooms under construction (77.5%). By comparison, W Hospitality Group reported lower under-construction shares in some markets, including Nigeria at 39.2% and Cape Verde at 8.6%.

“What stands out this year is the strength of East Africa in terms of projects moving forward. Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania show some of the highest construction ratios on the continent, which suggests that this is where we are likely to see new supply coming through in the short to medium term,” Ward said.

For Kenya, the high proportion of projects under construction signals that a meaningful share of planned rooms is more likely to reach completion compared with markets where projects are still at early stages. In business terms, that can translate into increased competition in Nairobi and key leisure corridors, while also creating opportunities for construction, fit-out, professional services, and hotel staffing as projects move toward opening.

The report also points to concentration among international operators. It said Marriott International leads Africa’s pipeline by rooms with 31,782, followed by Hilton and Accor, and added that the five largest global chains—Marriott, Hilton, Accor, IHG and Radisson Hotel Group—account for around 80% of all pipeline hotels and rooms on the continent.

Looking ahead, W Hospitality Group said more than 65,000 rooms are forecast to open in 2026 and 2027, including 31,768 rooms in 2026 and 33,381 rooms in 2027. However, it cautioned that historical actualisation rates suggest deliveries may fall short of projections, highlighting a gap between announced pipelines and completed projects.

Further analysis of signings, construction progress and anticipated openings will be presented at the Future Hospitality Summit Africa, scheduled for March 31 to April 1 in Nairobi, according to the release distributed by APO Group on behalf of Future Hospitality Summit Africa.