By Yunus S Saliu
Bakadaji Hotel has positioned its sponsorship of the 2026 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) as part of a broader strategy to attract new international markets, promote The Gambia as a tourism destination and keep its business active throughout the year.
The hotel has been confirmed as a sponsor of the 17th edition of SVAFF, scheduled for October 8–11, 2026, in Silicon Valley, California, where filmmakers, producers, artists, academics and audiences will gather to celebrate African and African-diaspora storytelling.
The 2026 festival programme features 75 films from 33 countries and provides a platform connecting African filmmakers with audiences, technology companies and international networks.
Speaking about the partnership, Bakadaji Hotel Operations Manager Abdourahman Barry said the initiative reflected the hotel’s determination to explore new markets rather than depend solely on the traditional tourism season.
He said Bakadaji proprietor Bunama Njie, who has more than 30 years of experience in business, remained committed to maintaining the hotel’s reputation in The Gambia’s hospitality industry while continuously searching for new opportunities.
“We want to keep our hotel busy twelve months a year, not only five or six months as we lost in the crisis,” Barry said.
He explained that the partnership with SVAFF offered the hotel an opportunity to reach African and African-American audiences and other international travellers who may have an interest in Africa but know little about The Gambia.
Barry stressed that the initiative was not intended to benefit Bakadaji Hotel alone, saying increased international exposure would ultimately benefit the country’s tourism industry.
“If we have more people coming, it is not only going to benefit Bakadaji because our hotel rooms are not that many compared to other hotels,” he said. “We believe in The Gambia as a destination, not only Bakadaji.”
As a festival sponsor, Bakadaji Hotel is expected to promote its brand through videos, posters, flyers, T-shirts and other promotional materials during the event. A representative of the hotel is also expected to participate and speak about the hotel and its tourism offerings.
The partnership is also linked to a planned “SVAFF Goes to Africa” programme, under which more than 30 filmmakers, celebrities and other personalities are expected to visit The Gambia next year.
SVAFF Founder and Chief Executive Officer Chike C. Nwoffiah said the partnership represented an important step in extending the festival’s connection with Africa beyond the screen.
“For 17 years, SVAFF has brought Africa to Silicon Valley through the lenses of African storytellers. Now, together with Bakadaji Hotel, we are completing that circle by bringing our community to Africa to see, feel, touch and experience the continent for themselves,” Nwoffiah said.
He described The Gambia as the starting point for the programme and said the visit would provide an opportunity for participants to experience the country’s culture, heritage and hospitality first-hand.
According to SVAFF organisers, Bakadaji Hotel was selected as the venue for the planned African programme because of its facilities, Gambian hospitality and capacity to accommodate an international group.
Barry said the visiting filmmakers, actors and other personalities could become important ambassadors for The Gambia because of their individual audiences and communication platforms.
“They will be talking about The Gambia, writing about The Gambia, talking about Bakadaji Hotel, the Gambian culture, the heritage and the peaceful Gambia,” he said.
He added that the hotel had already seen evidence of the potential of international networks following an earlier medical mission hosted at Bakadaji. According to him, positive feedback from participants and word-of-mouth publicity had generated interest in visiting The Gambia, with about 30 people reportedly planning trips to the country.
“That is only from word of mouth,” Barry said. “Talk about the festival, where we are expecting millions of people to know about The Gambia and Bakadaji at large.”
The partnership also comes as Bakadaji seeks to position itself beyond accommodation, offering visitors facilities including a spa, salon, swimming pool and gym.
For the hotel, the SVAFF partnership therefore represents both an international branding opportunity in California and a potential gateway for bringing filmmakers, creative professionals and other visitors to The Gambia.
With its focus on African storytelling and diaspora connections, the festival provides Bakadaji with a platform to introduce The Gambia to new audiences while supporting the country’s wider ambition of diversifying its tourism markets and encouraging year-round visitation.