South Africa's Mice Sector Nears Full Recovery

South Africa's meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions MICE sector has made significant strides towards recovery, achieving 80 of its pre-pandemic levels, according to Nonnie Kubeka , Head of the Gauteng Convention Events Bureau.

Before the pandemic, the MICE sector contributed 20.8 to the tourism industry. Today, we stand at 19.2. By the end of the 2024/25 financial year, we expect to surpass pre-pandemic levels, she said.

Although the sector has not yet fully recovered, it is outperforming other MICE markets within the Southern African Development Community. The sectors growth is driven by robust bidding processes and innovative proposals developed collaboratively by the South African National Convention Bureau and provincial bureaus.

South Africas MICE sector aims to expand its GDP contribution and maximise its economic impact. Kubeka emphasised the importance of leveraging MICE events to create broader economic opportunities, including job creation and support for small and medium enterprises within the events value chain.