Johannesburg, 19 March 2025 - MICE tourism has become a cornerstone of South Africa's US$2.53bn travel and tourism industry, driving business travel while significantly boosting the national economy through direct and indirect spend as well as downstream investments. 

Yet the sector’s impact can be seen everywhere, with MICE also serving as a strategic gateway to new source markets and future leisure tourism pipelines.

As Carol Weaving, Managing Director of RX Africa – the host and architect of Africa Travel Week – explains, delegates often experience South Africa’s attractions through familiarisation (FAM) trips and post-conference tours, then become unofficial brand ambassadors sharing their extraordinary experiences back home.

“April is a big month for MICE visitors,” says Weaving.  “Africa Travel Week brings ILTM Africa to the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, while World Travel Market (WTM) Africa commandeers the CTICC alongside IBTM Africa, EQUAL Africa, Travel Tech and the African Tourism Investment Conference. It’s a highlight on the 2025 calendar – in a year that includes the first G20 meetings, working groups and Leaders’ Summit on the African continent.”

For Weaving, it’s an invaluable opportunity to introduce South Africa to new markets, as Africa Travel Week – including ILTM Africa – gives delegates and invited guests a taste of what luxury travel looks (and feels) like in Africa today.

And with South African Tourism (SAT) targeting 15 million tourists a year by 2030, new source markets are becoming increasingly important – both for the leisure and MICE sectors. The recently launched Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) hopes to boost group travel from China and India by reducing visa processing times, while electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) and new, direct flights between India and South Africa are on the table.

“South Africa’s traditional European source markets are showing relatively slow recovery post-Covid,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director of Africa Travel Week. “For example, German arrivals remain 18% below pre-pandemic levels. In comparison, both China and India’s outbound tourism is booming, presenting a major opportunity for South Africa. By understanding and catering to the needs of Asian markets, we can unlock significant growth in visitor numbers and revenue, ensuring a more resilient and diverse tourism economy.” 

Last year, 49.6% of all Indian travellers visiting South Africa came for business purposes, with the MICE segment accounting for 20.2% of total arrivals. 

WTM Africa will be shining a spotlight on source markets in April, with the topic featuring prominently in both their speaker programme and State of the Industry report. 

“David Frost, CEO of SATSA, will share his insights during a keynote address at WTM Africa,” says De Jager. "He’ll talk to South Africa’s overdependence on the UK and European source markets, look at key emerging markets, and propose new ways of diversifying our tourism industry.” 

And for both Weaving and De Jager, this is where MICE’s magic lies. 

“MICE can augment what’s happening in the leisure space,” says Weaving. “Even more so if there’s synergy in terms of our goals and strategies, and cross collaboration with DMCs, hotels, and attractions to create unique experiences that blend business and leisure – and appeal to emerging markets.” 

De Jager agrees: “It’s an exciting time. But we need to design the kind of events that appeal to these fast-growing Asian markets, consider their preferences, including vegetarian and vegan catering, and ensure that we take the opportunity to showcase South Africa’s worldclass offerings – either at the events through food or entertainment, or by cross-selling packaged leisure add-ons from golf and wine tasting to safaris and whale-watching.”

Fortunately, gatherings like Africa Travel Week provide ideal platforms to catalyse thinking and design initiatives that leverage pan-African knowledge and collaboration.

“Twenty twenty-five feels like a watershed year,” says Weaving. “The MICE sector can help accelerate South Africa’s goal of attracting 15 million tourists annually, and by hosting prominent events like Africa Travel Week, South Africa can elevate its profile as an innovative, eco-conscious, authentic, and welcoming nation.”

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For more information contact Olivia Gradidge - olivia.gradidge@rxglobal.com 

About RX  
 

RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people.  RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com. 

 
About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. 

 

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