Confidence in the Western Capes business meetings sector is high with Cape Town securing the top spot for meetings in Africa, increased investment and an economic impact of over R1 billion 50.8 million in the last financial year.
The recently released International Congress and Convention Association ICCA 2023 rankings show that Cape Town hosted 42 qualifying international association meetings, up from 30 hosted in 2022. This ranking places Cape Town as the leading meetings destination in Africa, and 50th globally.
According to the Western Capes trade and tourism promotion agency Wesgro, the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau secured 30 new bids for the 2023/24 financial year, delivering an economic impact of over R1bn.
The Western Cape province as a whole hosted 51 of South Africas 98 international meetings, with Stellenbosch hosting nine, up from five the previous year.
Among the conferences hosted in the province in 2023 were the 18th International Congress of Immunology, the Entrepreneurs Organization event, and the African Investment Indaba.ICCA's rankings criteria require conferences to be attended by at least 50 international delegates, last at least two days and rotate through at least three countries.
