Airline body urges African governments to act on opening market access
‘Strategies don’t move people. Now it is time to make the difficult decisions and execute them,’ senior executive stresses.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Indian-based hospitality group plans luxury brand expansion in SSA
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025
Taj Hotels brand is revamping three bush lodges in South Africa and eyes Zambia, Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania.
The Taj Hotels luxury brand, which is part of the Indian Hotels Company Limited, has announced an expansion strategy aimed at strengthening its footprint across sub-Saharan Africa.
Illustration: Taj Hotels
This regional expansion is part of the group’s broader growth strategy, which has a target of 700 hotels globally by 2030. The intention is to reinforce its position as a global premier hospitality business.
The first step in the new SSA strategy is the acquisition of three lodges in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park. Phased openings are planned during 2026 and beyond.
“Here in sub-Saharan Africa, Taj Hotels has kept pace with the group’s growth through noteworthy acquisitions,” comments Mark Wernich, Cluster General Manager: Africa and Business Development Africa for the Taj brand.
He adds that Taj is evolving to offer travellers a broad scope of experiences, ranging from city stays to bush and beach experiences.
Next phase of the sub-Saharan Africa strategy
The next phase of the sub-Saharan Africa strategy is to establish a presence in Zambia, Botswana, the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and the Serengeti in Tanzania.
“We aim to build a robust infrastructure across East Africa to support our sub-Saharan portfolio, allowing travellers to explore the region’s best destinations seamlessly,” notes Wernich.
The expansion follows Indian Hotels Company Limited’s recent recognition as the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand for 2025 by Brand Finance – marking the fourth time the group has earned this accolade.
Enhancing Africa’s travel and tourism sector was a focus of the African Marketing Confederation’s 2025 annual conference held in Ghana recently. The AMC is collaborating with UN Tourism on its Brand Africa initiative to create a responsible, sustainable and attractive pan-African tourism brand.
Uganda Tourism Board partners with major European ice hockey league
UTB says its ambition is to turn the visibility into interest, bookings and more visitors choosing to explore Uganda.
Researchers explain why 10-second micro ads outperform longer spots
Short ads shown on TV increased website visits within five minutes of airing by 10-40% compared with longer advertisements.
Competition continues to grow in the Moroccan supermarket sector
Supeco’s rapid expansion shows how the discount model is becoming a bigger part of grocery retail in the North African country.
Study identifies harmful paradox behind well-meaning green efforts
Consumers reward visible eco-friendly additions such as reusable bottles, but give little credit to businesses that reduce or remove products.
President Mahama commissions expanded evaporated milk facility in Ghana
Nestlé believes Ghana will continue to play a leading role in the future of Central and West Africa.
Momentum beginning to build for 2027 ACCS gathering in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia’s marketers gather to celebrate hosting next year’s conference – but with an eye on the hard work ahead.
PwC report examines the future of African entertainment and media
Tech is creating more ways for audiences to connect, but lasting value will come from understanding the people behind those connections.
Unilever investment expands its Vaseline production capacity in Africa
The new production line at the historic Maydon Wharf facility in Durban will address growing international demand.
World MICE Awards in Jamaica honour best African and global achievers
Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and South Africa all feature in the African meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions awards.
AI won’t replace market research. But it will expose weak strategy
Much of the broader conversation around AI in market research assumes conditions that do not consistently exist across many African markets, writes Soyinka Witness.