Meetings Africa celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. In these ten years, the African business events industry has emerged from obscurity to become one of the most exciting sub-sectors on our continent’s tourism landscape.

Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom will officially open the symposium with a keynote address on Tuesday, after which he will join the media on a tour of the lekgotla. This will be followed by a media panel discussion on the business events industry in South Africa and on the rest of the continent. A highlight of the third and final day is a Local Corporate Buyer event hosted by the Unique Speakers Bureau.

It is wonderful for me to be here with you tonight at this majestic world heritage site – the cradle of humankind. I cannot think of a more appropriate place to re-affirm our “Africanness.”