Meetings Africa is all about business and the continent is raring to go

MMeetings Africa is all about business and the continent is raring to go

SOUTH AFRICA, JOHANNESBURG, TUESDAY, 25th FEBRUARY 2020:: The message from South African Tourism’s CEO Sisa Ntshona is clear: Meetings Africa 2020 is all about business and the continent is raring to go.

Ntshona and Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, opened the Meetings Africa trade floor on 25^th February at the Sandton Convention Centre to exhibitors and buyers buzzing with anticipation. 

Meetings Africa celebrates its 15^th year as Africa’s premier business events show and it has grown into a game-changing platform for industry players on the continent and globally.

Ntshona believes it is also a platform for the regional business events industry to engage in a bid to attract more global and regional business events to Africa. “It has been 15 years of growth, 15 years of learning and listening in order to get even better. Meetings Africa serves as a primary platform for Africa’s business events professionals to highlight their diverse services and product offerings to global buyers, and create partnership opportunities with African associations to help transform and contribute towards the continent’s economic growth.”

This year’s Meetings Africa welcomes 329 exhibitors and 321 buyers, 205 of which are international hosted buyers. Other big wins for Meetings Africa 2020 include:

• 100% of the exhibitor stands sold – a vast improvement from 95% in 2019.
• 118 square metres more floor space sold compared to last year.
• 8,000 meetings have been planned, 200 more than 2019.

Ntshona was delighted at the turnout at this year’s event. “The number of exhibitors and buyers attending Meetings Africa keeps rising, a sign that we are definitely headed in the right direction. More importantly, the growth in numbers is an indication that African stakeholders are willing to come together to learn from each other and strike partnerships that are mutually beneficial, which is exactly what Meetings Africa is all about.”

According to Ntshona, the “Shared economies” theme is a tool to boost and stimulate collaborative African growth. “Shared economies are defined as a socio-economic network in which assets or services are shared between private individuals, either free or for a fee.”

Africa the next frontier of economic growth

Minister Kubayi-Ngubane addressed the idea that Africa is the world’s next frontier for economic growth and development. She said that for the continent to make this a reality, it would need to harness the potential of the tourism sector. “This sector can help the continent continues its inevitable march towards sustainable growth. Inevitably, this growth trend for a 1.2 billion-person market is irreversible.”

She quoted the World Bank, saying that four of the fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa. “Africa brims with promise. Africa is a wonderful continent of diverse people and vibrant cultures. With many African countries making remarkable economic strides in the past few years, the global meetings industry has come to regard the continent as a dynamic, sought-after destination. Hence, Africa is the second fastest growing tourism region in the world.”

The World Economic Forum’s 2019 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report stated that Africa has made great strides in infrastructure development in areas where it traditionally trailed such as ICT readiness, international openness and price competitiveness. This is thanks to increasing foreign direct investment in key areas such as energy, infrastructure and finance.

According to Kubayi-Ngubane, This is in line with the thinking of the African Union Specialiased Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism encouraging the African Union Commission to support the strengthening of tourism infrastructure with adequate resources and to effectively link it with the transport and energy sector considerations.

Tourism crucial to South African government

Kubayi-Ngubane assured that government is taking tourism seriously as it presents the economy with vast opportunities for growth. “Tourism is a crucial sector, and high on the list of our government’s priorities. As a country, we already have a vibrant tourism industry and both leisure tourism and business events industry hold massive potential to play an even more meaningful role in the economic transformation of our country and the upliftment of our people and the rest of the continent.”

She added that the government is committed to forging partnerships with the private sector to bring in new entrants to contribute to the tourism industry’s diversity and sustainability. “We have placed great focus on upskilling small tourism enterprises that create jobs, offer authentic experiences and empower communities.”

Ngubane emphasised the importance of collaboration, saying it is crucial in helping Africa realise its potential. “For this reason, Meetings Africa showcases Africa’s diverse offering of services and products, in which African associations and African meetings industry professionals can partner to help transform our continent’s fortune.” 

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