The next edition of Africa Hotel Investment Forum will take place in Namibian capital Windhoek, with over 500 participants from companies representing various facets of hospitality investment.

Namibia will host the next edition of Africa Hotel Investment Forum, said to be the largest hotel investment event in Africa. According to a press statement by the organisers of the AHIF, the forum will take place at the Mövenpick and Mercure hotels in Windhoek, the Namibian capital on June 25-27, 2024.

The statement adds that both properties are receiving a total makeover after they were acquired in 2021 by a fund managed by Kasada Capital Management, an independent real estate private equity platform dedicated to the hospitality industry in Africa. Consequently, AHIF will also showcase the relaunch of both properties.

According to the press statement, for many delegates attending AHIF next year, the conference will 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.

Participants will also include delegates from AviaDev, Africa’s premier airline route development conference, which will take place at the same venue the week before AHIF.

Nangula Uaandja, Chairperson and CEO of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, said securing the bid to host AHIF 2024 had been an affirmation the country’s national potential.

“We are delighted to welcome the international hospitality investment community to explore the untapped investment potential of our tourism industry. We are a country that is committed to developing our people by attracting foreign investments that catalyse economic activity and employment creation,” Uaandja said.

Matthew Weihs, Managing Director of the Bench, which organises AHIF, said investing equitably in Africa required a fair spread of conferences across the region.

“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,” Weihs said.