It’s an exciting time for business events in South Africa. From emerging sectors such as medical and film tourism, and growing collaborations across the continent, the industry is dynamic. This was evident at Meetings Africa 2024, where the increasing role of technology in driving innovation was a key focus. Below are some of the biggest takeaways from the event.
Collaboration fuels Africa’s business events sector
There are reasons to be optimistic about the business events industry on the African continent. This year’s Meetings Africa 2024 event, themed “Africa’s success built on quality connections”, emphasised this sentiment. The event aimed to position the continent as the destination of choice for international business gatherings.
Adding to this optimism, the Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille highlighted the crucial role of collaboration among African nations in capitalising on the rapid growth of the business events industry. “This is a crucial time for South Africa’s business events sector.”
Minster de Lille continues, “the partnerships formed with various countries, both on and off the African continent, have been instrumental in the successes of the past years.”
The global business events industry was valued at $345.8 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2031. Furthermore, Africa’s business events sector was estimated at $12.7 billion in 2023, with South Africa contributing a significant portion of $6.4 billion.
This year’s event boasted 380 exhibiting companies from 21 African countries. This included new products from Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Cape Verde. This represents a diverse array of products and experiences in the continent’s business events industry. The event provided a platform for showcasing the continent’s potential.
AI is the future of business events in South Africa
Sustainable tourism and innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are shaping the future of business events in South Africa.
The event shone a spotlight on the growing influence of AI in this industry. As a result, various experts encouraged event organisers to embrace AI-powered solutions to unlock new opportunities and create memorable experiences. AI can streamline processes, personalise the experience for each attendee, and ultimately lead to higher satisfaction and engagement. For example, AI-powered chatbots can be used to provide real-time assistance to delegates and guide them throughout the event.
New frontiers in business tourism
In addition to traditional tourism offerings, South Africa’s business events sector presents exciting new opportunities. For example, Azania Muendane from Locations Africa, speaking at Meetings Africa 2024 highlighted the growing potential of film tourism. She explained how film productions can benefit local businesses. They create opportunities for collaboration with business event organisers in areas like venue rentals, catering, and transportation.
“Every international production that can be persuaded to shoot on locations in a particular destination means a high-profile, low-impact injection of foreign currency. Consequently, they can create jobs, stimulate small business activity and potentially expose the country’s brand and positive images to a wider market.”
In a similar vein, medical tourism is growing in South Africa. Speaking at Meetings Africa 2024, Professor Mashudu Tshifularo, a Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist at the University of Pretoria in South Africa advocated for establishing a one-stop shop to elevate the emerging field of medical tourism. “We need to set up proper infrastructure to exploit medical tourism, as patients worldwide want to come and experience our world-class expertise. Our currency makes it cheaper for the Global South to seek medical care here. Let’s exploit that,” he said.