Food and agricultural technology can enable the emerging tourism sector across Africa
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Tourism is an important growth industry for Africa. In 2017, tourism contributed 8.1% to Africa’s GDP. This sector is an important economic driver for many SADC and East African countries enabling diversification from natural resources dominant industries.
Tourists are attracted to Africa’s unique and beautiful landscapes, wildlife and history. When paying top dollar, tourists coming to see the natural environment/ecosystems are demanding a high quality, fresh and healthy food and beverage experience. The tourism sector has been in the past decades dominated by baby boomers, but research shows that this is changing as more millennials are becoming more adventurous and more demanding of fresh and traceable food.
| Country | % of GDP contributed by Tourism 2017 | Growth in Tourism Forecast 2018 |
| South Africa | 8.9% | 2.9% |
| Botswana | 11.5% | 4.9% |
| Rwanda | 12.7% | 6.8% |
| Kenya | 9.7% | 5.5% |
To attract and retain these high-value international visitors, hotel, lodge operators and safari camps are adapting and needing to up their game as it relates to the food and dining experiences, all while facing local, challenging agricultural growing conditions driven by climate change and poor distribution infrastructure.
Despite travelling thousands of miles from home, travellers expect quality fresh produce; vegan options and healthy meals. Many lodges operate in remote areas with difficult “last mile” logistics to supply fresh produce, meat and dairy that require long shelf life.
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