Business Travel Set to Soar: Africa’s Agents Poised for Growth

The global business travel sector is poised for a significant upswing, reaching a projected \$1.57 trillion in spending in 2025. This positive trend, highlighted in the latest Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Business Travel Index (BTI) Outlook report, presents exciting opportunities for African travel agents to capitalize on the increasing demand.

While global economic uncertainties and trade tensions pose challenges, the overall outlook remains positive. The 6.6% year-over-year growth projected for 2025, while moderate compared to previous years, still signifies a robust recovery and expansion of the business travel market. Furthermore, a stronger rebound of 8.1% growth is anticipated for 2026, indicating continued momentum in the sector.

For African travel professionals, this global surge in business travel translates into promising prospects. South Africa, the continent's leading business travel market, is expected to experience a remarkable 17% growth in business travel arrivals in 2025. This far outpaces the global average, positioning South African agents at the forefront of this expansion. Other key African markets, including Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and Morocco, are also recalibrating their growth trajectories, presenting further opportunities for agents across the continent.

The GBTA BTI report, a comprehensive five-year forecast covering 72 countries and 44 industries, underscores the resilience of business travel despite global headwinds. The report's insights, based on data from over 7,300 global business travelers, reveal evolving traveler expectations and payment trends that African agents should heed.

Business travel is widely perceived as valuable, with 86% of travelers globally rating their trips as worthwhile. This positive sentiment reinforces the importance of in-person connections and business interactions, driving the demand for travel. The majority of business travelers (74%) took between one and five trips in the past year, and over 80% report traveling as much or more than before 2019. This indicates a strong recovery in travel frequency and a continued reliance on business travel for organizational success.

The report also highlights key trends in business traveler spending and payment preferences. Average trip spending has risen to \$1,128, up from \$834 in the previous year's survey. This increase reflects the growing investment companies are making in business travel and the importance of providing travelers with adequate resources. Expense management systems are now commonplace, with 67% of travelers using them. Corporate card access has also increased to 69% globally, and mobile wallet usage is on the rise, reaching 64% adoption worldwide.

These trends underscore the growing demand for seamless, mobile-first payment experiences among business travelers. African travel agents can leverage these insights to enhance their services and cater to the evolving needs of their corporate clients. By offering streamlined booking processes, integrated expense management solutions, and support for digital payment options, agents can position themselves as valuable partners in facilitating efficient and convenient business travel.

The GBTA BTI report also provides regional insights into business travel spending patterns. The United States and China remain the top two markets globally, accounting for a significant share of total spending. However, emerging markets like India, South Korea, and Turkey are showing rapid growth, indicating a shift in the global business travel landscape. While some mature markets like Spain and the Netherlands are experiencing slower growth, the overall global trend remains positive.

The report further analyzes business travel spending across different industry sectors. Trade-sensitive sectors like manufacturing and wholesale trade face potential risks from escalating trade tensions. However, service sectors such as arts & entertainment and professional services have already surpassed pre-pandemic spending levels, demonstrating the resilience and growth potential of certain industries.

Looking ahead, the mining and information and communication sectors are projected to experience the strongest growth in business travel spending. This highlights the increasing importance of these industries in driving global economic activity and the need for in-person interactions to facilitate business development and collaboration.

In conclusion, the latest GBTA BTI Outlook report paints a positive picture for the future of business travel, despite existing global economic uncertainties. The projected growth in spending, coupled with evolving traveler expectations and payment trends, presents significant opportunities for African travel agents. By staying informed about these trends and adapting their services accordingly, agents can effectively cater to the needs of business travelers and capitalize on the expanding market.