The first-ever Africa Wellness Congress drew around 100 people to Morocco earlier this month, offering strategic insight and operational guidance for integrating wellness into Africa’s economic development. With a theme of ‘Pioneering Investment and Business in Africa’s Wellness Industry,’ the event was organised by HAB France and Acumen Events Maroc and featured keynote speakers, panels and networking sessions.

Attendees for the two-day event, held October 13-14, represented 10 countries and topics included hotel and resort development in Africa, wellness as a business strategy, a blueprint for growth and returns of a wellness-centred hotel, rethinking back-of-house management, the art of training and embedding wellness into hospitality design.

How wellness is driving growth in Africa

The Congress was opened with a keynote from Hamid Bentahar, president of the National Tourism Confederation of Morocco, who talked about the country’s initiative to grow its current 17 million visitors to 30 million by 2030, and how wellness will help drive that growth.

“We have all the ingredients of wellbeing: the light, the sun, mountains, desert, cultural heritage – both the tangible and the intangible,” said Bentahar. “The future of wellbeing is within our culture and our heritage, but we need to listen to it and respect it.”

Bentahar also spoke about the seven dimensions of wellness embedded in the "Bahja spirit", a deep-rooted spirit of joy and hospitality that’s particularly associated with the Marrakech-Safi region of Morocco. The term comes from the Arabic word "Bahja," meaning happiness or joy, and symbolizes the welcoming nature and cultural richness of the area, seen in everything from local cuisine and music to community-based tourism initiatives.

Trevor Ward, owner of W Hospitality, spoke about hotel and resort development in Africa, saying there’s been a 13 per cent growth in hotel development, and a 23 per cent growth in North Africa in terms of deals signed. North Africa is responsible for 47 per cent of hotel development in the pipeline and the top three countries in terms of number of hotels in development are Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria. Of the total pipeline, 30 per cent of those hotels in development are resorts, which would suggest a spa and wellness component.

Wellness in Africa as a business strategyAmy McDonald, owner and CEO of Under a Tree Consultancy, spoke via video on wellness as a business strategy, the evolution of wellness, and how to position Africa within the wellness marketplace. McDonald pointed out that all the major hotel brands are coming to Africa, and with 74 million tourists coming to the continent in 2024, that’s a 12 per cent growth year-on-year from 2023. She pointed to the continent’s nature-based tourism as a key differentiator and an inherent wellness experience. “Many global destinations offer nature, but there is something so robust about Africa,” she said.

Patrick Saussay, founder of GPSA Wellness Solutions, sat down with Rohan Ogale, general manager of the Oberoi Marrakech to discuss the concept and identity of the spa.

“Spas are not just an amenity of the hotel – they are an integral part of creating real luxury,” said Ogale. “The spa concept is not in isolation – when you look at a guest journey from start to finish, it involves many elements that have to come together.” These could include touch points such as height, light and space – a priority in design for all Oberoi hotels and spas.

Ogale also touched on the idea of emotional vs financial ROI, and how Oberoi focuses on the emotional side and guest satisfaction. “At the end of the day, if we provide the right experience, guests come back,” he explained. “We have guests that stay with us eight or 10 times a year. It’s about looking at it from a bigger picture – a great spa and wellness experience leads to a larger rooms revenue.”

Martin Goldmann, CEO of ASPA, gave a keynote on how wellness-centred hotels can be a blueprint for growth and returns. He urged attendees to explore the wellness trends that people are looking for: contrast bathing, ice baths, cold plunges, flotation pools and saunas.

The future of wellness in Africa

Beth Gatonye, founder of Seeing Hands, gave a rousing keynote about her work in Rwanda, training people with visual impairments to be massage therapists. Gatonye shared that there are 26 million people with visual impairments in Africa, or 1 per cent of the population, and she suggested hotels and wellness centres should look beyond their disabilities to see their abilities. “Visually impaired therapists use heightened touch and empathy to heal,” she explained. “Their work redefines what it means to be ‘able’, inspires social pride, helps women provide for their families, and restores dignity, independence and purpose.”

Yuki Kiyono, global head of health and wellness for Aman, spoke to Kent Richards, founder of Wellness World Global, about Aman’s development in Africa. The luxury brand already has a location in Morocco, but has recently announced plans to build a second African location in Mozambique near Kruger National Park, which will have a focus on nature.

Richards also introduced the Africa Wellness Initiative, part of the Global Wellness Institute, which held an online conference in the days before the Africa Wellness Congress and which drew more than 700 registrations. “Africa is the next big thing regarding wellness tourism,” said Richards. “But Africa is not new to wellness. Since the birth of mankind, Africa has led wellness and we're here to shine the light on our progress.”

New dates set for 2026Building on this first successful edition, organizers of the Africa Wellness Congress have already announced that the second edition will take place on October 12–13, 2026, in Marrakech.

“The success of this first edition confirms the relevance of a pan-African forum dedicated to wellness,” said Christine Eskandar, international projects director at HAB France. “Together, we have laid the foundations for a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem capable of showcasing Africa’s unique potential to the world.”