In the fast‑evolving world of African property and hospitality, one event has become the beating heart of high‑value connections and transformative transactions: the Africa Property Investment (API) Summit Hospitality Forum.
On 18 & 19 September 2025, Cape Town will once again host this powerhouse gathering — a two‑day, deal‑driven forum that sits at the core of the 16th annual API Summit. It’s here that Africa’s most influential investors, developers, financiers, operators, and hospitality leaders converge to turn conversations into contracts.
A Platform Built for Deals, Not Just Dialogue
Unlike traditional conferences, the API Summit Hospitality Forum is laser‑focused on deal origination. Over 600 delegates from 30 countries will engage in structured networking, targeted knowledge‑sharing, and high‑impact meetings designed to move projects from concept to execution.
Wayne Troughton, CEO of HTI Consulting and a featured speaker, calls it “an invaluable platform that connects multiple stakeholders — operators, brands, investors, and real estate participants — bringing together perspectives often missing from traditional hospitality conferences.”
Troughton notes a surge in interest from pension funds and institutional investors, drawn to hospitality’s resilience and its ability to blend conference, leisure, and business revenue streams. This shift signals a maturing market and aligns perfectly with the 2025 API Summit theme: “Growth through Adventure.”
Hospitality & Residences Forum: A Strategic Hub
Now in its fourth year, the Hospitality & Residences Forum has become a must‑attend for decision‑makers shaping Africa’s hospitality future.
Daniel Trappler, Senior Director of Development for Sub‑Saharan Africa at Radisson Hotel Group, explains why the brand is both sponsor and initiator:
“The forum’s high‑caliber audience and regional focus create targeted opportunities to connect private and public sector leaders, share market expertise, identify strategic investments, and accelerate growth.”
Radisson’s involvement underscores its position as one of Africa’s largest and fastest‑growing hotel companies.
Innovating Hospitality Models
Allan Wantenaar, Head of Business Development for Valor Hospitality Partners Africa, champions a “whole world of local” approach — blending global best practice with local market insight. Valor’s model supports the full development process, from design optimisation to F&B innovation through SAVOR by Valor, and managing mixed‑use commercial elements.
Wantenaar credits Valor’s success to its “Hotelitarian” culture — a service‑driven mindset recognised with accolades like the Top 10 Best Places to Work award.
“True hospitality is about the guest experience, not just a space — and that’s what drives commercial success,” he says.
Food & Beverage as a Growth Engine
Simon Wright, Founder and Chairman of TGP International, highlights the rising demand for experience‑led F&B concepts that deliver cultural, social, and economic value.
“Food and beverage can be a catalyst for long‑term development and placemaking,” Wright explains.
TGP International, an award‑winning global hospitality agency, will use the API Summit to connect with partners ready to integrate F&B innovation into high‑impact hospitality projects.
Cape Town: Africa’s Hospitality Capital
Murray Anderson‑Ogle, Head of Communications, Marketing, and Business Development at API Events, calls Cape Town “the capital of Africa’s hotel market” — a city where investment potential meets real project execution.
In 2025, the Hospitality Forum will tackle critical issues such as securing development sites and new‑entry strategies in Cape Town and the Western Cape, while actively enabling banks, developers, funders, and operators to collaborate.
“This intentional bridging of real estate and hospitality disciplines fast‑tracks transactions and delivers concrete results. Simply put, the API Summit is where Africa’s next big deals are made,” says Anderson‑Ogle.
The API Summit Hospitality Forum is more than an event — it’s a transaction engine for Africa’s hospitality sector. It brings together capital, expertise, and opportunity in one place, ensuring that the conversations held in Cape Town this September will shape the continent’s hospitality landscape for years to come.
