As the year winds down, it's a good moment to zoom out. Safari real estate continues to do what it does best: bring people closer to nature, deliver strong performance, and favour those who build and operate with care. Inbound travel is strong, assets are maturing, and the shape of the next cycle is becoming easier to see. Here are seven observations from the field.
1. Prime Safari Real Estate Will Remain Structurally Undersupplied
Quality safari real estate cannot scale quickly. Land access inside national parks and concessions is fairly fixed. Permits are hard and slow. As a result, the number of investable, institution-grade safari sites grows marginally each year, while inbound demand continues to rise. This keeps pressure on ADRs and supports strong occupancy for well-located, well-run assets.
2. Tanzania Will Strengthen Its Lead Over Kenya as a Safari Real Estate Market
From a real estate perspective, Tanzania offers something rare: large, contiguous ecosystems with strict development controls. This creates fewer competing beds per square kilometre, stronger long-term asset defensibility, and clearer zoning for permanent and semi-permanent camps. For long-term holders, this matters more than short-term tourism flows.
3. Air Access Will Improve
Several new international routes and connectivity improvements were announced for Tanzania in 2025. Brussels Airlines will start direct flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport in mid-2026, connecting Europe directly into northern Tanzania. Air Tanzania expanded its network in 2025, adding direct services to Accra, Cape Town, and Victoria Falls from Dar es Salaam. Planning discussions are also underway for an airport on the western side of Serengeti National Park. Shorter transfers and more gateways will translate into stronger ADRs and higher occupancy for the right locations.
4. Asset Design Will Move Closer to Residential Quality
Safari lodges are increasingly evaluated like ultra-remote residential assets. Investors and guests now expect spatial generosity and privacy, durable materials suited to bush conditions, high sleep quality and climate control, and layouts that reduce operational friction. We will keep building assets that feel close to nature — less is more in this case.
5. Safari Company Quality Will Diverge — and Partner Vetting Matters
As safari demand grows, many operators are scaling quickly. That often means more vehicles on the ground, but not always more experience behind the wheel. New cars are easier to add than well-trained guides. By 2026, careful partner vetting for guiding standards, training depth, vehicle management, and operational discipline will be one of the main factors separating stable, high-performing assets from inconsistent ones.
6. Experience Depth Will Drive Pricing Power
Safari stays are no longer judged only by rooms and views. Guests increasingly value what they can do and feel during their stay: walking safaris, meaningful cultural access, time outside the vehicle, and genuine exposure to conservation work. The difference is not the activity list, but how naturally these experiences are integrated into the stay. By 2026, depth and quality of experience will be one of the main drivers of guest satisfaction, repeat visits, and pricing power.
7. Safari Real Estate Will Be Treated More Like Infrastructure
Well-run safari assets are starting to look increasingly familiar to banks. They show predictable seasonal patterns, advance cash collections, limited competitive supply, and assets that are relatively easy to upgrade, replace, or improve over time. We see growing appetite from the banking sector to fund more safari real estate projects. By 2026, safari real estate will be treated less as exotic hospitality and more as a niche, yield-producing real asset class.
Wishing everyone in the safari, travel, and investment community a strong start to the new year. Looking forward to what the next chapter brings.