By: Staff Writer
The Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) 2024 has secured a N$500,000 sponsorship from O&L Leisure.
The event is expected to bring over 300 hospitality industry investors, business leaders, government officials, and expert advisors from across the African continent to Windhoek.
It will be Namibia and Southern Africa’s first AHIF after Namibia won the bid last year, facilitated by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), which also serves as the host partner.
Sven Thieme, managing director of O&L Leisure, highlighted the forum as an opportunity to showcase Namibia’s unique tourism potential on the international stage.
“The NIPDB shares O&L Leisure’s vision of positioning and marketing Namibia as a premium destination, offering world-class experiences. Together, we strive to bring Namibia’s rich culture, stunning landscapes, and exceptional hospitality to the forefront of the international tourism industry,” said Thieme.
The influx of visitors for the event is expected to stimulate economic activity, boosting demand for hotel accommodation, transportation, restaurant services, and peripheral services such as curio and gifting products.
Last month, Simonis Storm Securities noted that conferences contributed to occupancy rates of 58.1% in April across nationwide establishments.
“By leveraging our collaboration with NIPDB and other stakeholders, we are committed to empowering local communities through job creation and skills development. This ensures that the benefits of a thriving tourism sector are felt by all Namibians, promoting inclusive growth and long-term prosperity,” Thieme said.
NIPDB chief executive officer (CEO), Nangula Uaandja, highlighted tourism as a potential key driver for economic growth as part of the board’s diversification strategy aimed at expanding the Namibian economy.
“With the high calibre of investors, hoteliers and financiers coming to Namibia, we are very deliberate in leveraging the convening power of AHIF to showcase the investment opportunities in this sector, with a clear end goal of securing investments that enable a sustainable future for Namibians”, said Uaandja.
Uaandja added that successfully hosting this conference is crucial to achieving Namibia’s strategic goal of becoming a business tourism destination, supported by the establishment of the Namibia Convention Bureau aimed at branding and promoting Namibia as a MICE destination.
She emphasised that realising these economic aspirations requires strong partnership-led public and private sector collaboration.
“We therefore welcome the support of our partners O&L Leisure, which is a demonstration of our shared goals to grow the economy sustainably and to unlock opportunities that make prosperity a reality for our people. It is also a pivotal example of public and private collaboration to support the government’s economic development agenda,” said Uaandja.
AHIF is known as a premier investment forum that gathers the highest calibre of international hotel investors and plays a crucial role in driving investment into tourism projects, infrastructure, and hospitality development on the continent.
Delegates will converge from June 25 to 27 for three days of high-level networking, formal business meetings, and discussions on the latest trends and developments in the hospitality industry.
