Tourism is growing rapidly across Southern Africa, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean islands. Rising international visitor numbers, expanding air connectivity and significant investment in hotels, resorts and tourism infrastructure are creating new employment opportunities across the region. However, this growth is also exposing a critical challenge. Developing the skilled workforce needed to sustain it has become just as important as attracting investment.
“We see these countries as forming what we call Africa’s hospitality triangle,” says Viren Sookhun, Managing Director, Workforce Staffing Africa. “These are distinct tourism markets, but they are becoming increasingly interconnected through visitor movement, investment, and hospitality development. They also face many of the same workforce challenges, which means there is an opportunity to approach skills development on a regional rather than a country-by-country basis.”
Workforce development is falling behind
While investment in hotels, resorts and tourism infrastructure is creating new employment opportunities, the development of skilled hospitality staff has not kept pace with demand. There is a growing shortage of experienced hospitality professionals, particularly in specialist and leadership roles.
“The industry is expanding quickly, but developing experienced hospitality professionals does not happen overnight. Many of the people with those skills are also moving to markets such as the Middle East and Europe, where remuneration and career opportunities are often more attractive. That creates a shortage in specialist positions such as executive chefs, food and beverage managers and general managers, and it also reduces the pool of experienced professionals who are available to mentor the next generation,” says Steven Naiko, Managing Director, Tanzania at Workforce Staffing Africa.
The challenge is not uniform across the region. Namibia, for example, has not yet experienced the same pressure as parts of East Africa, but that is expected to change as tourism recovers and oil and gas investment gathers pace. This also gives the country an opportunity to prepare rather than react.
“We do not want to wait until the shortage appears before we respond. Demand is going to increase over the next few years. This is the time to start training local people, bringing in expertise where it is needed and preparing the workforce for what is coming,” says Julien Karambua, Country Manager, Namibia at Workforce Staffing Africa.
Accelerating local capability
Addressing the skills shortage is not simply about bringing in more international talent. Expatriates have an important role to play, but that role should be to develop local capability rather than fill specialist positions indefinitely.
“Where specialist expertise is needed, expatriates should be brought in with a clear mandate to transfer knowledge. That transfer should be structured and documented so that local professionals develop the skills and experience to step into those roles over time,” explains Sookhun.
Local recruitment should remain the priority wherever possible, supported by targeted training in customer service, language proficiency and international hospitality standards. The objective should be to create sustainable local talent pipelines rather than ongoing dependence on international recruitment.
Shared commitment
Developing the hospitality workforce cannot be left to employers alone. Governments, tourism boards, education providers and industry all have a role to play in ensuring that training keeps pace with investment.
“Governments need to strengthen vocational education and ensure training remains aligned with the needs of the hospitality industry. Hotels and tourism operators also need to see apprenticeships, mentorships and leadership development as long-term investments. These are important steps in building a workforce that can support the industry’s future growth,” says Naiko.
Individual countries and governments also need to work together to create an environment where tourism can grow, by improving regional connectivity and making it easier for visitors to move between destinations.
“If we make travel easier between African countries and work together rather than competing against each other, everyone benefits. Visitors increasingly want to experience multiple destinations during one trip. The easier we make that journey, the stronger our tourism industry becomes,” Karambua adds.
Investing in people for long-term growth
The countries that make up Africa’s hospitality triangle have an opportunity to strengthen one another’s growth by improving regional connectivity and investing in the local talent needed to support a growing tourism industry. Achieving this will require long-term commitment from governments, industry, and education providers alike.
“Local talent must remain the foundation of the hospitality industry. International expertise should help us build that capability, not replace it. If we get that balance right, we will create an industry that continues to grow, creates opportunities for local communities and contributes to long-term economic development,” Sookhun concludes.
