(Posted 08th October 2026)
Tourism-supported employment in Africa is forecast to reach 31.5 million jobs in 2026, up from 30.2 million in 2025. But the impact reaches far beyond tourism itself. Events and experiences activate entire ecosystems from hospitality and transport to production teams, creatives, local suppliers, and countless other services.
As Africa creates more reasons for the world to visit, the opportunity is not only to attract more people, but to build stronger experience economies around what makes each destination unique.
But the opportunity is not simply bringing more visitors to Africa. It is creating more reasons for them to come. The continent’s diversity across the various markets is one of its greatest advantages. Its distinct cultures, cities, industries and landscapes can attract entirely different types of visitors, from business travelers and investors to sports fans, food lovers, creatives and cultural tourists. That gives destinations across Africa the opportunity to build experience economies around what makes each of them unique and by doing so creating more and more employment, including opportunities for self employment.
