Banyan Group expands in Africa with 26 luxury hotels across 7 countries

Banyan Group is turning Africa from a limited regional presence into a major growth market after taking a majority stake in Newmark Hotels & Reserves, giving the Singapore-based hospitality company control of a 26-property portfolio spanning seven African countries. 

The transaction, announced Sept. 17, expands Banyan Group’s reach across Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Mauritius. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but the ownership structure is designed to eventually transfer full control of Newmark to Banyan Group. 

The move gives Banyan an immediate operating platform in markets where it previously had only a handful of properties. Before the transaction, the company had four hotels and four spas across Morocco, Mauritius, South Africa and Tanzania.

Newmark gives Banyan an African operating platform 

Rather than building its African network property by property, Banyan is using Newmark’s existing business, local teams and market relationships as the foundation for a wider expansion strategy. 

Newmark was established in Cape Town in 2007 by South African businessman Neil Markovitz and has built a portfolio that includes heritage hotels, urban properties, nature lodges, island retreats and private game reserves. It will retain its name, employees and locally focused operating model under the new ownership arrangement. 

That local platform could allow Banyan to combine Newmark’s knowledge of African destinations with the larger group’s international distribution, marketing and development capabilities. Markovitz, who remains founder and managing director, said the partnership would increase Newmark’s international reach while allowing it to showcase its African portfolio to travelers around the world. 

Banyan’s global portfolio now stands at nearly 130 hotels, resorts and private nature reserves, more than 30 branded residences and over 140 spas and galleries. Its 14 hotel and residential brands operate across 28 countries.

Benin adds a new West African foothold 

The group is also preparing to enter another part of the continent. Dhawa Ouidah, a 132-room-and-suite beachfront resort on the coast of Ouidah, Benin, is scheduled to become Banyan Group’s next African opening. 

The Benin project broadens the company’s geographic reach at a time when international travel to Africa is recovering strongly. The continent received 81 million international tourist arrivals in 2025, up 8% from 2024, according to UN Tourism data published in January 2026. 

Africa’s travel economy is expected to expand further this year. The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2026 Economic Impact Research forecasts 5.4% growth in the sector, following a $228 billion contribution to the continent’s economy in 2025. That figure is projected to rise to $241 billion in 2026. 

For Banyan Group, the Newmark deal places a substantially larger African business beneath its global hospitality platform, covering luxury accommodation, nature-based tourism and destination properties across some of the continent’s established and emerging travel markets.