African tourism is entering a critical growth phase, driven by a rising middle class, increasing inbound arrivals, and record levels of hotel development.
Source: Supplied
These are the insights that came from a special Africa-themed edition of Skift’s annual Megatrends report, released this morning (Tuesday, 27 January 2026) at a first-of-its-kind event on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, highlighting the continent’s potential to attract investment and shape the future of global travel.
Global trends converge on Africa
This year’s Megatrends report, presented in partnership with the Millat Group, assesses how shifts in traveller behaviour, capital flows, and technology are redefining competitiveness in the global travel economy, with direct implications for South Africa and other African markets seeking to grow tourism sustainably.
"Tourism demand for Africa is real and accelerating," said Hamza Farooqui, CEO of Millat Group. "What will determine success is whether destinations can translate that demand into investable opportunities supported by reliable infrastructure, policy certainty and long-term capital."
Among the most significant themes highlighted is the continued expansion of luxury travel, with Africa increasingly identified as the next frontier for high-value, experience-led tourism. Skift notes that luxury travel is moving beyond traditional concepts of opulence, placing greater emphasis on privacy, authenticity, access, and cultural depth.
"Africa’s luxury advantage lies in its experiences and its stories," Farooqui said. "But those advantages only convert into value when supported by air access, quality operators and investor confidence that extends beyond a single property or season."
Culture, music and urban tourism drive growth
The report also highlights the growing economic role of music residencies and live tourism, as destinations leverage cultural events to drive visitation, extend length of stay, and broaden their tourism economies. For African cities, Skift identifies this as an opportunity to link tourism more closely with creative industries, urban regeneration, and job creation.
Another major theme in the Megatrends report is the rapid transformation of travel marketing, as large language models and AI-driven discovery tools increasingly influence how destinations are surfaced, described, and evaluated by travellers.
“Destination visibility is being reshaped by technology," Farooqui noted. "How Africa’s tourism story is structured, verified and surfaced in AI-driven systems will increasingly influence traveller choice and investment decisions."
Investable, connected and narrative-led destinations,/h2>
"The 2026 Megatrends show that the next phase of global travel growth will favour destinations that are investable, well-connected and narrative-led," said Rafat Ali, CEO and founder of Skift.
“Africa has many of the underlying demand drivers in place, particularly in experiential and luxury travel, but the winners will be those markets that align infrastructure, policy and storytelling with how modern travellers discover and evaluate destinations."
Across all themes, Skift’s analysis points to the need for a more integrated approach to tourism development, recognising tourism as an interconnected system spanning transport, energy, water, skills, and capital.
Tourism as a strategic economic sector
The Millat Group believes the Megatrends report reinforces the importance of treating tourism as a strategic economic sector, capable of delivering sustained growth, employment, and foreign earnings when supported by coordinated public and private investment.
“The opportunity is not simply to attract more travellers," Farooqui said. “It is to build a tourism economy that is resilient, investable and globally competitive, and that requires alignment across government, investors and operators."
The release of Skift’s 2026 Megatrends in South Africa provides a timely framework for travel leaders, policymakers, and investors seeking to position the continent within a rapidly evolving global tourism landscape.
View the full list of the Skift Megatrends here.
