South African tourism giant Tourvest has strengthened its expansion into East Africa after acquiring the properties and business activities of Uganda’s renowned safari and hospitality operator, Wild Frontiers.
The move signals growing investor confidence in the region’s premium tourism market.
The acquisition brings some of Uganda’s best-known safari and lodge assets into the wider Tourvest East Africa portfolio, which already includes luxury safari operator Lemala Camps & Lodges and adventure tourism brand Adrift, the company behind the iconic Lemala Wildwaters Lodge on the Nile in Jinja.
The deal positions Tourvest as one of the most integrated tourism players in East Africa, with operations now spanning luxury safaris, adventure tourism, gorilla trekking experiences, destination management, and mid-market hospitality offerings across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Industry reports indicate that the transaction specifically covers Wild Frontiers Uganda’s hospitality properties and safari activities business, rather than a full acquisition of the entire company.
As part of the integration, three Ugandan safari properties have already been rebranded under Tourvest’s newly launched Tulia safari brand.
The properties include Tulia Buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Tulia Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Tulia Murchison Falls near Murchison Falls National Park.
The acquisition significantly boosts Tourvest’s footprint in Uganda, a tourism market increasingly attracting global attention for its unique blend of mountain gorillas, wildlife safaris, adventure tourism, and high-end experiential travel.
For decades, Wild Frontiers has been regarded as one of Uganda’s pioneering safari operators.
Founded by Paul and Jane Goldring in the 1990s, the company built a strong international reputation in tailor-made safaris, gorilla trekking logistics, Nile-based tourism, and destination management services targeting high-value international travelers.
Over time, the company evolved into a premium tourism and hospitality player with a portfolio spanning safari camps, luxury lodges, transport operations, and adventure tourism experiences.
Tourvest’s acquisition now gives the South African group immediate access to established infrastructure, experienced operational teams, local market expertise, and premium tourism circuits in Uganda without having to develop new properties from the ground up.
The move also reflects a broader shift in African tourism, where larger regional hospitality groups are increasingly consolidating strategic tourism assets to create vertically integrated tourism ecosystems capable of serving travelers across multiple price points and experiences.
Tourvest Accommodation CEO Moseketsi Mpeta said the group’s newly launched Tulia brand was developed to cater to travelers seeking quality safari experiences positioned between budget travel and ultra-luxury offerings.
“At its core, Tulia is about getting the fundamentals right,” Mpeta said in media reports announcing the acquisition.
“Guests want to be in the right place, with knowledgeable guides, and to be comfortable at the end of the day.”
The company says the Tulia concept focuses on prime wildlife locations, comfortable accommodation, experienced guides, reliable service, and locally inspired hospitality.
Mpeta also indicated that Tourvest intends to grow the brand primarily through acquiring and improving existing tourism operations rather than pursuing large-scale greenfield developments.
The strategy aligns with Tourvest’s broader East African structure, where its brands now target distinct tourism segments.
Lemala Camps & Lodges serves the luxury safari market, Adrift focuses on adventure tourism and Nile experiences, while Tulia targets the growing mid-market safari segment.
Tourism industry observers say the acquisition underscores Uganda’s emergence as a serious premium tourism destination within Africa’s safari economy.
While Kenya and Tanzania have historically dominated mainstream safari tourism, Uganda has increasingly differentiated itself through niche, experience-led travel anchored on gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, conservation tourism, birding, and adventure experiences.
With international demand continuing to shift toward experiential and conservation-focused travel, Uganda’s premium tourism assets are becoming increasingly attractive to regional and international investors, and Tourvest’s latest move may signal the beginning of even deeper consolidation within East Africa’s tourism sector.
