In the next five years, the Company wants to open 150 hotels across the continent, further solidifying Africa as a significant growth region.
The Radisson Hotel Group has opened 14 hotels in the region and signed over 25 new hotels, expanding its portfolio by more than 4,800 additional rooms in just the previous two years. It currently has close to 100 hotels and 16,000 rooms operating or being developed throughout Africa. This translates to 90% of its African pipeline and a solid 15% rise in its African operating portfolio year over year, putting the Company well on track to meet its lofty development objectives.
Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Africa & Turkey, Radisson Hotel Group comments: “Over the last two years, we have accelerated our growth timeline locally and reached new record milestones across Africa, thanks to our balanced development strategy, our tailored approach, and our swift response to changing market conditions. As a Group, we have prioritized consolidating our market share in key focus markets and expanding our presence in new territories to cement our leading position as the most geographically diverse hotel company across Africa. Our rate of materialization and openings are testament to the quality of our pipeline and our conversion strategy to reposition existing hotels under one of our Radisson Hotel Group brands. What sets us apart, is our owner-centric approach with dedicated teams and relevant brands that balance the lowest development cost with access to development solutions. Our adaptive solutions are created to meet local needs, resulting in compact, midscale, and luxury hotel offerings as well as serviced apartments with a lean operational model and efficiencies as a result of hotel clusters.”
In addition to new markets of interest such as Gambia, Cameroon, Ghana, Tanzania, and Seychelles, the Group’s key focus markets for its expansion into Africa in 2023 will continue to be Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt, demonstrating a balanced prioritization of Francophone and Anglophone countries. Rapid conversions are a top objective for Radisson Hotel Group’s expansion strategy within these markets. The Company has successfully shortened the time between signing and opening hotel contracts from five to seven years to two to three years, setting a new record for the area. For instance, the recently opened Radisson Blu Livingstone Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort in Zambia, which is adjacent to the famous Victoria Falls, opened in less than 24 months, and the Radisson Blu Hotel & Conference Center Niamey in Niger, which opened in 12 months. both demonstrating the Group’s capacity for quick turnaround and partnership with the appropriate partners. The Group’s first hotels in Ghana and Reunion Island, as well as brand-new properties in Casablanca, Taghazout, and Saidia in Morocco, Hoedspruit (South Africa), Lusaka (Zambia), and Tunisia, will all open their doors in 2023. (Tunisia).
Highlights from 2022 included the company’s introduction into a number of significant new African markets, including three new hotels in Madagascar, which became Radisson Hotel Group the island’s largest foreign operator. With the launch of Marina Resort Port Ghalib, a member of Radisson Individuals, in Marsa Allam, Egypt, the Group signed a contract for the first Radisson-branded hotel in East Africa, the Radisson Hotel Addis Abeba Bole Airport.
The first 5-star hotel with an international brand to open in South Sudan was the Radisson Blu Hotel in Juba, and the company’s local expansion plan was followed with the signing of the Radisson Resort Dakar Saly in Senegal. With the debut of its most recent property, Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga, and the anticipated inauguration of Radisson Safari Hotel, Hoedspruit later this year, the Group’s first safari resort in the nation, Radisson Hotel Group increased its portfolio in South Africa to more than 14 hotels. The Group’s position in the area was further strengthened by the establishment of the Radisson Hotel Sfax in Tunisia and the rebranding of La Maison Blanche Tunis as a Radisson Individuals property. The Group also acquired the 294-room Radisson Collection Marsa Alam, Egypt, and the Radisson Hotel Yaounde, Cameroon with 220 rooms – both opening in 2024.
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