Millat Group has secured South Africa as the venue for the first Skift Megatrends event on African soil, marking a major strategic win for the country’s tourism and hospitality sector.
The partnership will see Skift’s Africa Megatrends 2026 launched globally at sunrise on January 27, 2026 at Table Mountain, giving industry leaders timely and exclusive access to the world’s most influential travel intelligence reports.
Skift Megatrends is widely recognized as the global travel industry’s annual compass, shaping the strategies of airlines, hotel groups, tourism boards, investors, technology companies, and policy makers. The 2026 edition analyzes the factors that will determine travel behavior, market performance, and investment flows in the year ahead. This includes economic and social megashifts impacting consumer expectations, the next phase of AI adoption in travel, redesigning destination strategies, and structural changes reshaping hospitality and aviation around the world.
Millat Group played a decisive role in securing the event in Africa, positioning South Africa as a global stage for new ideas, investment conversations and executive-level tourism leadership. This partnership is in line with Mila’s strategy to increase Africa’s visibility in global tourism and connect the continent to cutting-edge insights and trends shaping international markets.
Hamza Farooqui, Founder and CEO of Millat Group, said the partnership is a milestone for the continent.
“Mira is proud to bring Skift Megatrends to Africa for the first time. This is more than just a launch event. This is a statement that Africa belongs at the table that shapes global tourism strategy. The findings of this report will guide decisions for the world’s leading travel companies. And now, those insights are available here, on our website. Delivered on land, in our time zones and in the presence of African leaders. We want to give the continent direct access to the intelligence that will influence investment, innovation and opportunity. Millat is committed to building a competitive, globally connected and growing African tourism sector.”
Skift’s report provides deep value to the African market at a time of crisis. As global travel demand recovers and competitive pressures intensify, tourism boards and private operators need high-quality data to understand changing traveler behaviors, the rise of experiential itineraries, new digital booking patterns, supply chain disruptions, and the evolving economics of hotel development.
For African destinations, this intelligence can help refine marketing strategies, identify growth corridors, re-enter long-haul markets and strengthen local investment propositions.
Skift CEO and founder Rafat Ali said the setup is symbolic.
“The launch of Megatrends 2026 in South Africa reflects the energy, ambition and leadership coming out of the African continent. Milat Group is committed to making this possible and we look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders to unlock the key themes for the coming year.”
The sunrise launch atop Table Mountain will be attended by over 100 senior decision makers from Africa’s travel, hospitality and technology sectors. Skift’s editorial and research leaders will present their findings on 2026 megatrends, then discuss how they specifically apply to Africa’s tourism growth trajectory in 2026 and beyond.


