South Africa is expected to earn R617 million (€32 million) from the 53 international business events secured this financial year ending March 30. The South African National Convention Bureau was awarded these bids from a total of 81 submitted for events taking place through to 2029.
During the trading floor opening at Meetings Africa on Tuesday, February 25, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille emphasised the events will bring more than 24 000 delegates to 12 hosting cities and towns across the country.
“The events will be hosted in world-class venues in Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, Port Alfred, Gqeberha, Magaliesberg, Sun City, Richards Bay, Polokwane, Muldersdrift and Stellenbosch,” she said.
The business events industry is already benefitting from more than 130 G20-related meetings held across the country ahead of the main summit to be hosted in Johannesburg towards the end of the year.
“This provides unparalleled opportunities to showcase our country’s venues and facilities displaying business collaboration, contributing to job creation and driving investment. The G20 Summit is more than just an event; it is a statement to the world that Africa is ready to take its rightful place in global economic leadership. It is also a demonstration of our proven ability to host safe, world-class events at scale,” said De Lille.
Glenton de Kock, CEO of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry, said South Africa’s events pipeline is strong but there is significant potential for further growth through more targeted bidding strategies.
“Much more can be done to adopt targeted approaches to our key source markets and business associations. It’s important to understand the intricacies of what these specific associations are looking for in a destination, their expectations and the outcomes they want to see,” De Kock told Tourism Update.
He called for further emphasis on advanced event planning and site visits to venues.
“Business associations are planning their events three or four years in advance, which means our timelines need to match theirs. This needs to include providing prospective buyers with the opportunity to visit the incredible venues we offer and the world-class capabilities to host conferences,” said De Kock.
Meetings Africa presents world of opportunity
This year’s Meetings Africa welcomed 410 exhibitors – including 85 new exhibitors – from 26 African countries.
De Lille highlighted the trade show’s significance as an economic contributor – last year’s event injected an estimated R420 million (€21.8 million) into South Africa’s economy – and catalyst for the growth of Africa’s MICE sector.
“The business events industry is projected to grow significantly in coming years. The connections and business we establish here will achieve this for the African continent. We must do a lot more to grow South Africa and Africa’s share of the global business events market,” she said.
In a speech delivered at the trade show on the previous day, Albertus Aochamub, Namibia’s Ambassador to France, elaborated on the extraordinary opportunities that Africa’s tourism industry offers to buyers and foreign investors.
“Africa is a continent of breathtaking beauty, of majestic landscapes, ancient cultures and thriving cities yet Africa still accounts for less than 10% of global tourism revenue – a gap that presents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity. To investors and partners in this room, the time to build the tourism economy of the African continent is now,” said Aochamub.
