Banyan Group Takes a Majority Stake in Newmark's 26 African Hotels

Banyan Group, the Singapore-listed company behind Banyan Tree, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Newmark Hotels & Reserves, a Cape Town-based operator of 26 hotels, lodges, and private game reserves. The deal, announced September 17, 2026, brings Newmark in as a collection brand under a phased ownership path toward full control, and lifts Banyan's global count to nearly 130 hotels, resorts, and reserves across 28 countries.

Skift and Singapore Exchange filings put the implied value of Newmark at roughly 756 million South African rand, about $47 million to $60 million depending on the currency conversion cited. Banyan takes 70% initially, with the remaining 30% to follow. Newmark keeps its name, leadership under founder and CEO Neil Markovitz, owner relationships, and direct booking channels. Confirmed reservations stay intact under existing terms.

Where Newmark expands Banyan's Africa map

Newmark's portfolio spans Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Signature stays include QWABI Private Game Reserve in South Africa's Waterberg UNESCO biosphere, Motswari Private Game Reserve in Greater Kruger marking its 50th anniversary in 2026, Gorilla Heights Lodge beside Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Future Found Sanctuary on the slopes of Table Mountain. Heritage and city hotels in Cape Town, including the Victoria & Alfred Hotel lineage that launched the company, sit alongside island retreats in Zanzibar and Mauritius.

Before the deal, Banyan's Africa footprint was thinner: four hotels and four spas across Morocco, Mauritius, South Africa, and Tanzania, including Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, Marrakech Riads, Angsana Heritage Collection, and Ubuyu, the group's first safari Escape in Tanzania. Dhawa Ouidah in Benin is still ahead. Newmark fills the gap with wildlife and nature management expertise Banyan did not own at scale, and opens Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe without forcing every lodge onto the Banyan Tree brand.

What changes for guests

In the near term, very little at the front desk. You still book Newmark properties as Newmark, and the local teams stay in place. Over time, participating hotels should appear on Banyan Group booking platforms and in withBanyan, the guest recognition programme, which is the practical upside for travelers who already collect Banyan Tree stays and want safari or Cape Town nights under the same loyalty umbrella.

Africa recorded 81 million international arrivals in 2025, up 8% year on year and the strongest regional growth per UN Tourism, with WTTC projecting another 5.4% Travel & Tourism expansion in 2026. For ultra-luxury planners, the story is access: more bookable Big Five, gorilla, and regenerative-lodge inventory distributed through a brand network that already sells well in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, without wiping out the independent character that made Newmark's reserves bookable in the first place.