Natural Selection, in close collaboration with Angola’s only private game reserve and one of the country’s eminent tour operators, is set to announce its first venture in the Southern African nation as soon as March.
Natural Selection Co-Founder Colin Bell previously toldTourism Update that the company applied for a 200 000 hectare concession as an extension to the 40 000 hectare Cuatir Nature Reserve – established by eco-tourism pioneer Stefan van Wyk in 2012 – in southeastern Angola.
Van Wyk, who has spearheaded the rewilding and tourism development of the reserve, said he and Bell met with Angola’s Ministry of Tourism on Thursday, January 8, to discuss the new venture.
“We’re just ironing out all the fine details of the expansion of Cuatir and, if everything goes well, we’ll have that announcement ready by ITB Berlin in March,” said Van Wyk.
Demand for Angola growing
Van Wyk, also the founder of tour operator Angola Unchartered Safaris, said tourist demand for the country is growing.
“We’re a small company running high-end mobile camps and we are nearly booked out for 2026. We’ve got numerous birding and cultural tourism trips booked along with various tailor-made trips for photographic safaris,” said Van Wyk, pointing out that he has just completed an eight-day safari with a Swedish family in Iona National Park.
“Our bookings are led by the UK and US, and the German-speaking market is growing strongly as a result of increased investment in those countries by government. It’s only been in the past 12 months that government has recognised the true potential of tourism and this has helped to drive demand.”
The Ministry of Tourism signed a marketing agreement with European agency Kleber Group in March 2025 for representation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Angola Tourism subsequently launched its “Rhythm of Life” global marketing campaign in collaboration with Kleber in September.
Ripe with investment potential
In December, the Global Tourism Forum (GTF) highlighted specific “poles of development” identified by government’s National Tourism Promotion Plan (PLANATUR), which has set aside US$3 billion for investment in tourism.
The GTF said the Kuanda Kubango region in the southeast, with the source lakes of the Okavango Delta as its primary asset, presents emerging opportunities for ultra-luxury safari investment. Malanje, in the north, home to Kalandula Falls, has potential for adventure and sightseeing segments while Namibe and Huila in the southwest have desert and cultural tourism opportunities. The GTF pointed out that Benguela, in the central coastal region, has a medium to high investment maturity for cultural and beach tourism.
“Driven by the aggressive PLANATUR and a landmark visa-waiver programme, Angola is rapidly transitioning from a closed economy to one of Africa’s most intriguing emerging destinations. For investors, Angola represents a “blue ocean” opportunity: a market with world-class natural assets but a severe shortage of developed hospitality infrastructure.”
The GTF added that 2024 and 2025 marked a “decisive pivot” towards economic diversification from oil and gas with tourism emerging as a priority pillar.
The forum will host the inaugural Investment Summit Angola in Luanda from May 7-9, aiming to “mobilise global capital, strengthen public-private collaboration and strategically position Angola as one of Africa’s most dynamic emerging tourism and investment destinations”.
