Tourism industry leaders said that Africa is no longer merely a host for global gatherings, but an emerging hub of opportunities, innovation, and investment driven by business events.

Speaking at the Meetings Africa 2026, an annual business events trade show organized by the South African Tourism — the tourism marketing arm of the South African government in Johannesburg — experts said that conferences and congresses are evolving into powerful tools that unlock investment, expand markets, shape global narratives, and empower the next generation of leaders.

Senthil Gopinath, chief executive officer of the International Congress and Convention Association — the global meetings industry network headquartered in Netherlands — said that business events may attract fewer visitors than leisure tourism, but their impact extends far beyond direct spending.

"Business events fuel knowledge exchange, innovation, foreign direct investment, [and] professional development," he said. "They transform destinations from places people visit into places where world convenes to think, decide, and collaborate."

Gopinath noted that international associations are increasingly seeking destinations that offer more than venues. They want integrated ecosystems that connect government and regulation, academia and research, industry and investment, while delivering tangible community impact.

Despite global crises and pandemics, Africa's business events sector has shown sustained demand for high-value, knowledge-driven meetings, he added.

Governments are also elevating the sector within national economic strategies, recognizing it as an engine of trade, innovation, and international collaboration.

Bruce Redor, international business events strategist and partner at Gaining Edge — an Australian-based business management consultant — said destinations that succeed are those that use global meetings to advance their economic priorities.

Redor urged Africa's business event subsector to adopt a resilient approach to attracting and managing events, while investing in skills development and risk management. He also highlighted a shift in incentive travel, with younger generations seeking more meaningful engagements, rather than just purely luxury experiences.

"They want contact and interaction with local communities in the sectors they're involved in — whether banking, insurance, high-tech, or automotive," he said. "The motive is to meet people, have meaningful exchanges, and perhaps leave something behind."

Thembi Kunene-Msimang, chief operating officer at Tourvest MICE — a South African-based corporate event management and travel company — said strong client partnerships are critical in designing incentive travel that aligns with organizational goals.

Marta Gomes, president of the International Congress and Convention Association, called for stronger youth involvement in shaping the sector's future, pushing for platforms that build leadership skills and encourage young people to contribute ideas.

Kunene-Msimang echoed the need to involve youth early, noting that many graduates enter the industry without practical skills. She added that practical event planning, budgeting, and implementation skills are often not adequately taught in tertiary institutions.

Nozipho Tshabalala, chief executive officer of The Conversation Strategists — a firm dedicated to facilitating consequential conversations on global stages — challenged Meetings Africa to go beyond celebrating two decades of connecting the continent to the world.

"Our job is to position Africa as a new source of insight, perspective, and leadership in agenda setting," she said.

Tshabalala said Africa has a window to reclaim its positional power through intentional conversations that shape global discourse.

She described conversation as a coordinating infrastructure — the mechanism through which policy becomes alignment, ambitions turn into coalitions, and proximity evolves into real partnerships.

"We need conversational infrastructure to build direction, secure alignment, and build trust between those sitting on opposite sides of the table," Tshabalala said.