Kenyan retirees are quietly defining how they want to spend their golden years, despite being ranked among the poorest globally in a 2023 report by Allianz, an international financial service provider.
A growing number of them are now emerging as an unlikely luxury travel market as Dubai launches a major charm offensive targeting Africans.
Pamfilas Mongare, a travel agent, says over the past two years, there has been a steady rise in luxury bookings from Kenyans who have retired from their businesses or corporate jobs.
“We have seen a considerable increase in retired individuals opting for luxury travel. What has stood out for me is their preference for cruise voyages, especially to the Caribbean. I think it’s easy to see why; one, they have the time. Two, they have the resources to take on such long, immersive expeditions. The majority of them travel in groups, and that helps in bargaining for packages,” he tells the BDLife.
Beyond aiming to spend their sunset years at sea, another destination that is quietly winning over African retirees is Dubai.
Increasingly, Kenya and South African retirees top the list of African travellers choosing the Emirate as their luxury escape of choice.
For the past three years, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism has deliberately turned its focus toward Africa, in a renewed push to tap into the continent’s travel market.
Demand from Africa remains small, though. In 2024, African visitors accounted for just four percent of the total 18.7 million international arrivals at the Emirates.
“We simply weren’t as active in the African market as we are now,” Bader Ali Habib, Director of Proximity Markets at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, tells the BDLife.
However, Mr Habib notes that, since rolling out Africa-focused campaigns, the results are beginning to show. Kenya and South Africa are leading the growth.
“In the last few years, we have directly engaged travel agents across Africa. We’ve visited different markets to understand where we fall short, launched campaigns like Visit Dubai, and carried out targeted activities to position Dubai as a preferred destination,” he says.
Dubai’s latest tourism performance report shows that between January and October last year, 698,000 of Dubai’s 15.7 million international overnight visitors came from Africa. That figure is slightly lower than the 713,000 recorded during the same period in 2024.
“I don’t think Kenyan travel agents struggle to sell Dubai as a destination. Many Kenyans want to visit Dubai, and we have seen the surge of bookings in the last few years,” points out Mr Mongare.
That surge has been particularly encouraging for Mr Habib, who is not shy to admit that with Zanzibar being Dubai’s closest competitor for African travellers, even small, steady gains in markets such as Kenya and South Africa feel like a win worth celebrating.
He is, however, quick to point out that the retirees’ trend has taken them by surprise.
“The most surprising trend we have picked from our data in the last few months is that we are having an influx of retired luxury travellers from Africa, especially from Kenya, who want to experience luxury in Dubai.”
A good number of this surge was witnessed during Dubai’s ‘winter season’ between November and April when the desert's hot, harsh climate gets relatively colder. But the interest from retired Kenyans to visit Dubai remains all year round.
“The data shows us that, at this moment, among destinations an African luxury traveller has in mind for consideration, Dubai is on the same level as Paris, London or New York, which are our main international competitors,” Mr Habib observes.
Paris and London are known for their shopping culture with several internationally recognised luxury brands setting base, just as in Dubai.
The Burj Khalifa towers over Dubai’s skyline, with the luxury Souk Al Bahar and Downtown hotels in the foreground, United Arab Emirates.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
New York and London are also known for their gastronomy and fine dining culture, an aspect that entices most luxury travellers, something Mr Habib admits Dubai has been playing catch-up.
Anastacia Wangui, another travel agent is also surprised by the trend, wondering why Dubai would be the top on the retirees’ bucket list, given that the city is fast-paced and hectic.
“It’s an interesting insight given how fast-paced Dubai is. Yes, it's luxurious, but I don’t see why Kenyan retirees who want to enjoy their sunset years would rush there. Many are known to opt for cultural expeditions; they want to tour the world and experience different cultures and cuisines,” says Ms Wangui.
Mr Habib has an explanation, attributing the development to Dubai’s deliberate effort to offer similar experiences to London, New York and Paris but better enhanced, has played a part in wooing Kenyan retirees.
“During winters, that's our peak, so the experiences tend to be rather expensive. To compensate for that, during the summer, rates drop drastically. For example, for the shopping experience, many items are always on huge discounts, just as several other services,” he says.
He cites medical tourism and safety for foreign travellers as some of the other reasons that could be an attraction.
Mr Mongare concurs.
“Dubai is known for its well-developed medical tourism industry, offering certified medical treatment at reasonable prices, probably only second to Italy. So it would make sense for many retirees to go there, given that as you age, they are facing health challenges and have an assurance of getting reasonable prices in several world-class hospitals and clinics,” Mr Mongare said.
In terms of security, Dubai is globally ranked among the safest cities to live in.
“Dubai has a high level of security; there is no doubt about that. The crime rate is low, and the city has a well-established police force and video surveillance system. Even at the beaches, you will enjoy your time at night without worry because it is always patrolled. This would also make it a good choice for retirees who are looking for a safe and secure place to live,” he adds.
The Dubai retirement programme, launched in 2020 by the ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has also triggered the surge of retirees, Mr Habib says. The “Retire in Dubai”, offers resident expatriates and foreigners aged 55 and above the opportunity to enjoy the Emirate’s distinctive lifestyle.
The programme terms are relatively cheaper compared to those offered in Spain and Europe.
“The law provides both resident expatriates and foreigners aged 55 and over with a 'Retire in Dubai' visa that is valid for five years and is renewable provided that the applicant maintains their eligibility status,” Mr Habib says.
To qualify under the programme, a foreign retiree needs to meet one of the four financial options. Have a monthly income in the UAE of AED20,000 (Sh705,000) or a bank deposit in the UAE of at least AED1 million (Sh35 million) or own a property in Dubai valued at least AED2 million (Sh70 million), options that are attractive to wealthy Kenyans, as many already have or desire to own second or third homes in Dubai.
