Meetings Africa 2026 marked its 20th edition in Johannesburg on Wednesday 25th February, 2026, signalling not just a milestone anniversary, but a clear affirmation of Africa’s rising influence in the global business events sector.
Hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre, the event spanned three intensive days, beginning with the thought leadership-focused BONDay on Monday and continuing with two days of curated trade, networking, and strategic engagement. Under the theme 20 Years of Connecting Africa to the World, this edition highlighted the platform’s evolution from a regional showcase to a continent-wide business events engine.
Reflecting on the legacy of Meetings Africa, Miller Matola, CEO of Millvest Advisory, emphasized the show’s enduring focus on relationships.
“Twenty years ago, the networks and connections established at Meetings Africa laid the groundwork for substantial business across South Africa,” he said. “What has endured are the personal and professional bonds formed, which continue to generate value today. That is the essence of this industry.”
Matola noted that the growth of the MICE sector on the continent has been both measurable and visible. Meetings Africa, he explained, has consistently functioned as a catalyst for that growth rather than merely a transactional marketplace.
For Nomasonto Ndlovu, CEO of Beacon Africa Tourism and former Acting CEO of South African Tourism, Meetings Africa has remained a consistent feature throughout her career in business events.
“I was involved in the early conceptual stages of Meetings Africa, and the event has been a constant presence in my professional journey,” she explained. “The introduction of a structured buyer selection model and the match-making diary system was transformative. It elevated the quality and intentionality of the engagements and fundamentally strengthened the show’s value proposition.”
Her perspective echoed broader feedback from exhibitors and buyers at the 2026 edition: the platform’s strength is defined not just by scale, but by the quality of connections and strategic interactions.
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, underscored the tangible economic impact of Meetings Africa when opening the trade floor.
“In the past three years, Meetings Africa’s contribution to GDP has nearly doubled, from R371 million in 2023 to R690 million in 2025,” she said. “More than 2,600 jobs have been sustained or created in the process.”
The minister highlighted the scale of the 2026 edition, noting participation from buyers representing 53 countries, 375 hosted buyers, 325 exhibitors, and over 6,400 confirmed business meetings. “Each meeting represents a connection. Each connection represents possibility. Each possibility represents progress,” she added.
The continent’s growing stature in international business events was further reinforced by Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA.
“Africa is expanding not only in numbers, but in confidence, capability, and purpose,” he said. “Platforms like Meetings Africa are crucial for nurturing emerging destinations, developing skills, and amplifying Africa’s business events narrative globally.”
This sentiment reflects a broader trend: African destinations are no longer participants but active architects in shaping the future of global business meetings.
Meetings Africa 2026 featured more than 300 exhibitors from over 20 African countries, representing the full spectrum of the meetings ecosystem. National and regional convention bureaux, hotel groups, destination marketing organisations, professional conference organisers, function venues, airlines, and specialist service providers showcased the continent’s MICE capacity.
South Africa’s infrastructure featured prominently alongside emerging markets, highlighting both established capabilities and the potential for new partnerships. Exhibitors included convention authorities, destination management companies, niche service providers, and technology innovators, underscoring the depth of Africa’s business events value chain.
Buyers and delegates repeatedly highlighted the importance of face-to-face interactions and curated appointment systems in translating engagements into tangible business outcomes. For many African suppliers, Meetings Africa remains one of the few platforms where products, capabilities, and strategic propositions can be presented directly to a decision-ready audience within a structured framework.
The trade days were marked by high-intensity meetings, presentations, and exchanges between buyers, destinations, associations, and service providers. Emerging destinations demonstrated readiness alongside established players, while discussions increasingly focused on sustainability, long-term partnerships, and event legacy.
The networking cocktail closing the first trade day captured the spirit of the event: relationship-driven, inclusive, and relaxed. It was a reminder that in business events, trust and connection are as critical as contracts and transactions.
As Meetings Africa 2026 concludes, its 20th edition stands as a testament to deliberate planning, collaboration, and consistency. More than celebrating two decades, the event affirms a future in which Africa does not merely participate in the global business events ecosystem but actively shapes its direction. For delegates, exhibitors, and buyers alike, the message is clear: Africa’s role in global business events has matured from potential to leadership.
