Meetings Africa 2026: “20 Years, 6,440 Deals, 1 Billion Reasons to Believe” — Patricia de Lille

Celebrating 20 Years of Connecting Africa to the World

Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg: South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, took to the stage at the Sandton Convention Centre this morning to officially open the 20th edition of Meetings Africa — Africa’s premier business events trade show. With buyers from 53 countries, 375 hosted delegates, 325 exhibiting companies, and over 6,440 confirmed business meetings on the cards, the event is living up to its milestone anniversary theme: “20 Years of Connecting Africa to the World.”

Two Decades of Impact

Since its launch in 2005, Meetings Africa has grown from a regional trade platform into a globally recognised gateway for African tourism and business events. Minister de Lille highlighted the remarkable economic trajectory of the event, noting that its contribution to South Africa’s GDP has nearly doubled in just three years — from R371 million in 2023 to R690 million in 2025 — while sustaining over 2 600 jobs in the process.

“Each of these meetings represents a connection. Each connection represents possibility. And each possibility represents progress.” — Minister Patricia de Lille

Africa Rising: A Continent on the Global Stage

A recurring theme in the Minister’s address was Africa’s growing credibility and competitiveness on the world stage. She highlighted several landmark achievements:

• South Africa recorded a historic 10.5 million inbound arrivals in 2025, a record-breaking milestone anchored in part by the continent’s growing appeal.
• Rwanda was announced as the host of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress in 2027 — the first time the Congress returns to Africa in over 23 years.
• South Africa successfully hosted the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2025, along with over 135 related meetings, and has since secured the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting for the following year.

The Business Events Pipeline: Bids, Billions & Beyond

Minister de Lille outlined the significant work being done by the South African National Convention Bureau (SANCB) to position the country as a top-tier MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) destination:

• 100 bids for international business events supported since the start of the 2025/26 financial year
• 52 confirmed bids secured through the Bid Support Programme
• Events expected to contribute nearly R1 billion to the economy
• Over 33 000 international and regional delegates anticipated
• Events to be hosted across 10 cities and towns, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Mbombela, Sun City, and more
• The SANCB invested R21.3 million through its Bid Support Programme to secure these events

Diversifying Tourism: Infrastructure, Investment & Iconic Events

Beyond business events, the Minister pointed to a broader strategy of diversifying South Africa’s tourism offerings:

• The Tourism Infrastructure Investment Summit unveiled 8 bankable projects valued at ~R1 billion from public and private sectors, with a second summit planned for September 2026.
• Africa’s Travel Indaba returns to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in May 2026.
• Next month, South Africa hosts a continental first — LIV Golf at Steyn City, with over 74 000 tickets already sold. Each of the four days will conclude with a concert featuring Grammy Award-winning artists, including Black Coffee and Calvin Harris.

A Full House at Meetings Africa 2026

Rounding off her address, Minister de Lille expressed pride in the breadth of representation at this year’s event — with 21 African countries and all nine South African provinces represented on the trade floor. She extended gratitude to partners Johannesburg Tourism Company and the Sandton Convention Centre for helping deliver what she described as “a purpose-designed ecosystem where high-quality connections drive concrete deals.”

Meetings Africa 2026 runs from 24–25 February at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. The event is hosted by South African Tourism and the South African National Convention Bureau.