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Africa is working to turn its growing golf industry into a larger tourism and investment business, with countries using major tournaments, golf resorts, and regional circuits to attract affluent travellers and corporate spending.
Major tournaments, growing golf circuits and new tourism ventures are putting Africa’s fairways in play for a much bigger market. From South Africa and Kenya to Rwanda, Morocco and Uganda, golf is increasingly being packaged as a gateway to high-value tourism, business and investment.
The push reaches a new stage this week as the inaugural Africa Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) brings golf destinations, tourism authorities, investors and international buyers together in South Africa.
The convention takes place in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, from 18 to 21 August.
According to organisers, the platform is designed to help African destinations sell golf as part of a wider tourism proposition rather than as isolated courses or tournaments.
“Africa has all the ingredients to become one of the world’s leading golf tourism destinations,” Neo Peete, founder and convention director of AGTC, said in a July 2026 statement.
“AGTC creates a platform for governments, tourism boards, investors and the private sector to collectively showcase Africa’s diverse tourism offering. When Africa works together, we become far more competitive on the global stage.”
The conference comes as the sport already has a sizeable participation base.
According to The R&A’s Global Golf Participation Report 2025, published in June 2026, Africa had about 329,000 registered golfers in 2025 and an estimated 741,800 people playing on 9- or 18-hole courses, including registered and unregistered players. The report counted 820 9- or 18-hole courses across the continent.
Globally, 65 million adults were playing golf in 2025, up by one million from 2024, while junior participation reached 47.1 million, up by 3.2 million in a year, according to The R&A.
The African numbers matter when considered through what happens when golfers travel. A round at a destination course can mean another hotel night, a domestic flight, a safari, a restaurant booking, a corporate event or a longer stay.
South Africa has the clearest evidence of that wider economic effect. An April 2026 analysis by Investec put the country’s golf economy at about R49 billion (about US$3.03 billion) a year, supporting approximately 40,000 jobs across the value chain. Citing Handicaps Network Africa for playing data, the analysis said 4.2 million rounds were played in South Africa in 2024, equivalent to more than 11,500 rounds a day.
“Golf in South Africa is a mature economic ecosystem that supports employment, drives tourism, and contributes meaningfully to national growth,” Investec said in the April analysis.
The country’s tournament calendar gives that ecosystem an international shop window. The 2026 Joburg Open, held at Houghton Golf Club from 5 to 8 March, was co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour and formed part of the DP World Tour’s International Swing.
The 115th Investec South African Open, held at Stellenbosch Golf Club in February and March, was also co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour, had a minimum prize purse of US$1.5 million and was sold out before the tournament began, according to the Sunshine Tour. The winner received an invitation to the Masters and a route into The Open Qualifying Series.
South Africa’s first LIV Golf tournament in March 2026 pushed the tourism play further. South African Tourism used the event to promote golf alongside safari, wine, coastal and cultural experiences.
“Hosting LIV Golf South Africa allows us to showcase Destination South Africa with world-class golf courses and a wide variety of unforgettable travel experiences ready to be explored,” then acting CEO Shamilla Chettiar said.
South African government estimates put the direct economic impact of hosting LIV Golf at R500 million to R800 million (US$30 million to US$50 million) per event, with further events approved for 2027 and 2028.
Kenya is developing the same proposition through the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open, the Magical Kenya Ladies Open and the Sunshine Development Tour’s growing East Africa circuit.
The 2026 Magical Kenya Open, held at Karen Country Club in February, featured 144 players, including 17 Kenyans, according to the DP World Tour. South African Casey Jarvis won at 25 under par, earning his first DP World Tour victory and €390,431.83 in prize money. Kenyan Njoroge Kibugu led the home players and was one of the few local professionals to make the cut.
According to Kenya Tourism Board chief executive June Chepkemei, the tournament is part of the country’s sports tourism strategy. The Kenya Airways connection reinforces that proposition. After the tournament, then Acting Group CEO George Kamal said the airline’s role went beyond sponsorship.
“It’s not about only sponsorship. It’s about supporting the whole sector of tourism and specifically the sports tourism,” Kamal said in a March 2026 Kenya Airways statement.
The model is now extending to the wider Kenyan golf calendar. The Absa Ruiru Invitational, the fifth leg of the 2026 Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing, was held from 16 to 18 August at Ruiru Sports Club, preceded by a Pro-Am on 15 August. The tournament drew 63 professionals, amateurs and junior golfers from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Burundi.
According to tournament information released on 13 August, the Ruiru leg carries a KES2 million prize fund and offers Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit, Official World Golf Ranking and World Amateur Golf Ranking points.
That circuit gives the golf tourism story a physical route, and Kenyan travel companies are already building around it.
“Golf is known as a prestigious sport, but it’s also where many business conversations happen,” Elsie Kathurima, founder and director of Dahlia Safaris, said at a golf-business networking event in Nairobi in July. “We want those conversations to translate into partnerships and real business opportunities.”
Dahlia Safaris is packaging golf with Nairobi attractions, wildlife, beach and cultural experiences, with itineraries combining golf in Nairobi, the Rift Valley or the Mount Kenya region with the Maasai Mara, Samburu and coastal destinations such as Vipingo.
“We want visitors to know that golf isn’t only available in Nairobi. There are beautiful courses across the country that offer different experiences,” Kathurima said.
According to The R&A, Kenya had 16,670 registered golfers in 2025, alongside an estimated 20,000 registered and independent golfers using 9- or 18-hole courses.
A growing affluent population is also helping widen the market. Henley & Partners and New World Wealth counted 122,500 millionaires across Africa in their 2025 Africa Wealth Report, including 41,100 in South Africa, 7,500 in Morocco, 7,200 in Nigeria and 6,800 in Kenya. Rwanda recorded 48% growth in its millionaire population over the previous decade, according to the report.
Rwanda is building directly around this market.
The country will host the inaugural Rwanda Open, a new Sunshine Tour event, from 24 to 27 September 2026 at Kigali Golf Club. The tournament carries a R2.5 million prize fund.
“We look forward to welcoming players, their families, and golf fans from around the world to experience not only the tournament, but also Rwanda’s warm hospitality, breathtaking landscapes, unique wildlife, vibrant culture, and unforgettable experiences,” Janet Karemera, chief executive officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, said.
The Rwanda Open follows the 2025 SportsBiz Africa Golf Championship, which drew 105 golfers from 12 countries, including Europe and the Americas, and became the first tournament in Rwanda to award both OWGR and WAGR points, according to the Sunshine Development Tour. Its second edition is scheduled for 10 to 13 September 2026 at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas.
Morocco offers the more established North African version of the model. In May, Rabat hosted the 50th Hassan II Golf Trophy and the 29th Lalla Meryem Cup at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. The Hassan II Trophy is part of the PGA Tour Champions schedule, while the Lalla Meryem Cup is part of the Ladies European Tour. The 2026 anniversary edition drew 66 men and 132 women.
The tournament’s own association describes the event as a vehicle for promoting Morocco as a golf destination and using the sport for tourism and economic development.
Notably, Morocco’s tourism sector its growing strongly. In 2025, the North African country welcomed 19.8 million visitors, a 14% increase from 2024, generating more than US$13 billion in tourism revenue, according to figures from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. This momentum has continued into 2026, with Morocco recording 9.4 million tourist arrivals by the end of June, up 6% year on year, according to the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF).
Uganda is adding golf to its tourism marketing agenda. The Pearl of Africa Golf Series has been building a domestic professional circuit while linking Ugandan golfers to competitions in Kenya and Rwanda. At its 2026 Entebbe leg, 50 elite gross players competed.
Uganda’s 2026 series is also moving towards the regional circuit model, with organisers announcing plans for a September Sunshine Development Tour event at Entebbe Sports Club, while the broader Sunshine circuit already has tournaments in Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria.
Credit: Bonface Orucho, Bird Story agency
