The four-day Africa Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) has brought together tourism authorities, golf resorts, travel buyers, investors, airlines, hospitality companies and government representatives at Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni. Organisers mentioned more than 300 delegates attending AGTC 2026 from more than 20 African countries as well as from 50 golf resorts and destinations.
The event was positioned as Africa’s first dedicated business-to-business platform focused exclusively on golf tourism.
The final day moves from conference sessions to the Golf and Demonstration Day at Serengeti Estates, providing international buyers and delegates with a practical showcase of Gauteng’s golf offering.
A substantial golf infrastructure
Africa already has a sizeable golf network, although estimates vary depending on whether facilities, clubs or individual courses are counted.
A 2026 golf-course database lists 746 courses at 658 clubs across Africa. South Africa dominates with 377 courses, followed by Morocco with 67, Nigeria with 49, Egypt with 40 and Kenya with 38. Zimbabwe has 25, Tunisia 18, Zambia 17 and Ghana 16. Mauritius has 15 courses.
The broader Middle East and Africa golf tourism market was estimated at US$912 million in 2025 and is forecast to reach almost US$970 million in 2026, with an expected annual growth rate of 9.8% through 2033.
There is no reliable current figure for the number of international golf tourists visiting Africa as a whole. However, the scale of the potential market is considerable. A South African government golf tourism seminar previously cited 54 million golfers worldwide, with about 25% expected to take golf holidays within a 12-month period. It also found golf travelers could spend around 120% more per day than general leisure tourists.
More recent South African industry research puts golf tourists’ daily spending at two to three times that of conventional leisure visitors, with spending extending to hotels, restaurants, transportation, excursions and premium experiences. South Africa’s golf tourism market alone was estimated at about US$218.9 million in 2025.
From golf courses to tourism ecosystem
That high-spending profile was central to the convention’s message. Over its four days, AGTC has focused on destination marketing, investment, business-to-business meetings, hosted buyers, exhibitions and collaboration between tourism authorities and the private sector.
The discussions have also highlighted the need to market Africa collectively rather than leaving individual destinations to compete separately. The convention’s theme, “One Continent. Many Fairways. One Marketplace,” reflected that strategy.
Speakers have emphasized golf’s links with luxury travel, MICE, hospitality, aviation, property investment and wider destination experiences. Golf travelers often extend their trips with safaris, cultural attractions, wellness, dining and other leisure activities.
The event has also put emphasis on women and youth participation, including the She Belongs Women’s Leadership Forum and a proposed caddie ambassador and youth skills-development program.
For Africa, the challenge now is converting its courses and spectacular landscapes into a connected, bookable and internationally marketed tourism product. Golf can indeed serve as a gateway to the wider African tourism economy and potentially become a significant new source of higher-yield visitors for the continent.
