Safari Real Estate Brief | 7 Predictions for Safari Real Estate in 2026
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 favor 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.
Looking ahead to 2026, a few themes are emerging. Here are seven of my observations from the field to close out the year and look forward.
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 kilometer
stronger long-term asset defensibility
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
In 2025 several new international routes and connectivity improvements were announced for Tanzania that will support higher inbound inflows:
Brussels Airlines will start direct flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport in mid-2026, connecting Europe directly into northern Tanzania and making turnkey access to safari hubs like Serengeti and Ngorongoro easier for inbound guests.
Air Tanzania expanded its network in 2025, adding direct services to Accra (Ghana), Cape Town (South Africa), and Victoria Falls from Dar es Salaam, boosting Africa-wide connectivity.The carrier also resumed and launched new regional links such as Dar–Johannesburg and combined circuits like Dar–Entebbe–Zanzibar, which make multi-destination itineraries smoother for international operators and charter flights.
At the same time, planning discussions are underway for an airport/airstrip on the western side of Serengeti National Park, closer to key lodge corridors. While still in early phases, this reflects a broader recognition that access is valuation infrastructure in safari real estate.
Shorter transfers and more gateways don’t magically increase demand, but they enable safari assets to compete more directly with other global luxury itineraries. In 2026, easier access will translate into stronger ADRs and higher occupancy for the right locations without diluting the quality of the experience.
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
layouts that reduce operational friction
We will keep building assets that feel close to nature. I believe less is more in this case.
5. Safari Company Quality Will Diverge & 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. In some cases, fleet expansion is outpacing guide development, supervision, and service culture.
For safari real estate, this matters. The same physical asset can perform very differently depending on the safari company supporting it.
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. When they are well planned and properly guided, they feel effortless. When they are bolted on, guests notice.
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
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. As lenders become comfortable with the operating models and cash flow dynamics, access to debt continues to improve.
That’s good news. It supports sensible expansion, lowers the cost of capital for quality projects, and reinforces safari real estate as a resilient, investable real-asset category.
By 2026, safari real estate will be treated less as exotic hospitality and more as a niche, yield-producing real asset class.
As the year comes to a close, wishing everyone in the safari, travel, and investment community a restful holiday season and a strong start to the new year. Looking forward to what the next chapter brings.
