City Lodge Hotels marks Africa Day 2026 by outlining what makes Africa fascinating – historically, culturally, and as a travel destination.

On 25 May 1963, 32 heads of state gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and agreed that Africa would speak for itself, and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), was born. The aim was a united continent, free and in control of its own destiny, and we now celebrate that day as Africa Day and May as Africa Month.

What makes Africa extraordinary

Africa Day and Month are a good time to take note of the sheer scale of this continent:

• 54 sovereign nations
• Approx. 1.58 billion people (roughly 17% of the world’s population)
• More than 2,000 living languages spoken
• Africa is so big that the US, China, India, Japan, and Europe can fit inside its borders simultaneously
• Home to the world’s largest hot desert: the Sahara (9.2m km2; maximum temperature recorded 58°C)
• Holds approx. 30% of the planet’s remaining mineral resources
• Nile River is the world’s longest (6,600km), flowing through 11 countries
• South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is where Homo Sapiens first emerged, around 200,000 years ago

Atlantic Lounge bar and Atlantic Social restaurant at newly refurbished City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

City Lodge Hotels in southern Africa

At City Lodge Hotels, we are proud of our southern African footprint as follows:

• 56 hotels: 53 in South Africa and one each in Windhoek, Namibia; Gaborone, Botswana; and Maputo, Mozambique
• 7,157 rooms
• 4 brands: Courtyard Hotel, City Lodge Hotel, Town Lodge, and Road Lodge
• 41 years (founded in 1985)
• Level 1 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status

Guest room and bar area and reception at newly refurbished City Lodge Hotel Umhlanga Ridge.

Africa’s Travel Indaba, an iconic expo

Africa’s Travel Indaba is the continent’s premier leisure tourism trade show, owned and hosted by South African Tourism (SAT), that takes place annually in Durban during Africa Month. The event and related activities reported in numbers tell a story of a continent that is very much open for business:

• More than 1,200 exhibitors
• Approximately 9,810 delegates in total
• 274 hosted buyers
• 637 non-hosted buyers
• 404 registered media

SAT reports that the event is estimated to have generated around R240 million in direct spending and approximately R835 million in total tourism expenditure, while supporting more than 1,122 jobs, many of them for young people and local communities in KwaZulu-Natal.

SAT Chief Convention Bureau Officer, Corné Koch, states: “These figures are not just numbers. They represent trade opportunities, destination visibility, enterprise inclusion, and long-term growth for Africa’s tourism economy.”

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, Chief Operating Officer, City Lodge Hotels, says, “It was encouraging to see the strong presence of fellow African nations at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026, with 22 African countries represented through exhibitions and ministerial participation. The commitment expressed by tourism leaders to maintain momentum on UNIVISA developments and to address airlift constraints was especially significant, as both are essential to strengthening intra-African travel.”

She adds, “City Lodge Hotels welcomes the continued growth in international arrivals to South Africa, and we hope that travellers from across the continent will remain a key focus for tourism bodies responsible for marketing South Africa globally. On Africa Day, we celebrate the partnerships and shared ambition that continue to grow our tourism footprint across the continent.”

Lindiwe is pictured here with one of the newly branded vehicles, quad bikes, and uniforms donated to the eThekwini Metro Police by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) during Africa's Travel Indaba.

Celebrate Africa Day with us – browse our hotels in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique and book your stay. We have plenty of special offers to choose from.

Happy Africa Day – we hope to see you somewhere on the map!

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