Uganda: FHS Africa Gets New Dates to Align with POATE 2027, Ahead of AFCON

Kampala, Uganda — The FHS Africa 2027 hospitality investment summit has been rescheduled from its original dates of 2–3 February 2027 to 28–29 April 2027, with the venue unchanged: Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala. According to the organisers, the date shift is designed to place the event alongside the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2027.

The revision brings two of Uganda’s most significant sector platforms into a single window, linking the international hospitality investment community directly with the country’s tourism promotion machinery. Rather than a delay caused by logistical constraints, organisers describe the change as a deliberate strategic decision intended to build momentum around Uganda’s tourism and hospitality proposition.

Why the Dates Moved

According to the organisers, the revised schedule follows consultation with industry stakeholders and partners. The objective is to connect investors, hotel owners, operators, developers, tourism leaders and policymakers from across Africa and international markets within one convening period, rather than splitting their attention across two separate moments on the calendar.

The alignment is intended to encourage engagement between communities that have historically operated in parallel: those who deploy capital and those who market destinations. Organisers argue that pairing the two creates conditions for knowledge exchange, strategic partnerships and commercial connections that neither platform could generate alone.

What the Partners Say

Matthew Weihs, Chief Development Officer at The Bench, framed the change as an expansion of the summit’s core purpose. “FHS Africa has always been about connecting capital, expertise and ambition to support the growth of hospitality across Africa,” he said.

“By working in closer alignment with POATE, we can create even greater opportunities for our delegates, sponsors and partners to build relationships, explore new markets and turn conversations into tangible business opportunities.”

Weihs added that Uganda “has a compelling story to tell as a destination for tourism, hospitality development and investment,” and that the alignment would help “shine an even stronger spotlight on the opportunities emerging across the country and the wider region.”

Juliana Kagwa, Chief Executive of the Uganda Tourism Board, welcomed the decision from the host country’s perspective, pointing to natural attractions, cultural heritage and expanding tourism infrastructure as the foundations of Uganda’s investment case.

“Aligning FHS Africa with POATE presents an exciting opportunity to strengthen the connection between tourism promotion and hospitality investment,” she said. “We look forward to working with our partners to create a dynamic platform that showcases Uganda to the world, encourages business engagement and supports sustainable growth across our tourism and hospitality industries.”

The AFCON Backdrop

The timing carries an additional dimension. Uganda will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Kenya and Tanzania, in the first three-nation edition of the tournament and the first staged in East Africa since Ethiopia hosted in 1976. Branded TotalEnergies CAF AFCON PAMOJA 2027, the competition runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027, featuring 24 teams across 52 matches at ten venues. Ugandan matches are scheduled in Kampala and Hoima.

With global broadcast attention and visitor flows directed toward the region weeks after the summit, the adjacent positioning of FHS Africa and POATE ahead of the tournament is designed to maximise visibility for East African hospitality projects at the precise moment international investors are assessing the market.

What Delegates Can Expect

FHS Africa will retain its role as a convening platform for the global hospitality investment community, with high-level discussions and networking centred on the trends, partnerships and investment prospects shaping the sector across Africa. Kampala is positioned in the framing as a gateway to the wider East African region.

For sponsors and partners, the practical implication of the date change is straightforward: budget lines, travel arrangements and delegation planning tied to early February 2027 will need to be reset for late April.