Parliament wants to know how many of the more than 29,000 business meetings recorded at Africa’s Travel Indaba and Meetings Africa this year resulted in real business for small enterprises.
The Portfolio Committee on Tourism has called on South African Tourism (SAT) to track whether meetings with buyers led to contracts, sales, investment, tourist arrivals and new customers for SMMEs.
Committee chairperson Ronalda Nalumango said having more SMMEs at the events was not enough if their participation did not result in more business.
“It is not enough to celebrate that more SMMEs participated in the 2026 edition of these platforms. What is of paramount importance is the impact on how this participation is converted into more business for these SMMEs,” Nalumango said.
Meetings need to lead to deals
Meetings Africa recorded more than 6,400 business meetings, while Africa’s Travel Indaba recorded more than 23,000 confirmed meetings.
Meetings Africa had 325 exhibitors and 375 hosted buyers from 48 countries and marked its 20th edition. Africa’s Travel Indaba attracted close to 10,000 attendees, 1,290 exhibiting companies and 919 buyers.
The numbers show the scale of the trade platforms, but the committee wants SAT to track what happens after buyers and businesses meet.
A meeting with a potential buyer does not automatically mean a sale or contract. The committee wants reliable systems to track whether these business leads become actual deals, tourist arrivals and longer-term market access.
This could matter to SMMEs that spend time and money preparing to attend major tourism trade events. A business may leave an event with several contacts, but those contacts’ value depends on whether they eventually lead to paying customers or commercial opportunities.
The committee has also called for better business matchmaking and higher-quality buyers so participating businesses have stronger opportunities to connect with relevant markets.
Parliament questions the return
The committee also raised questions about public money invested in the events.
It said the briefings did not clearly state how much had been invested, making it difficult to assess the return on taxpayers’ money.
The committee wants an economic impact study, measurable targets and regular reporting on business deals, investment and jobs linked to the events.
It also wants SAT to measure whether the events are helping participating enterprises grow rather than relying mainly on attendance and meeting figures.
The committee said the platforms should also be used to attract infrastructure investment, public-private partnerships and innovation in the tourism sector.
Pressure ahead of 2027
SAT is expected to make changes ahead of Meetings Africa and Africa’s Travel Indaba in 2027, including stronger digital systems, better matchmaking, stronger aviation partnerships and improved measurement of economic impact.
The committee also wants women-owned businesses, youth-owned enterprises and SMMEs from villages, townships and small towns to benefit from the platforms.
The National Conventions Bureau is expected to report before Meetings Africa in February 2027 on the implementation of the improvement plans.
The committee has also called for a multiyear operational framework covering the planning, delivery and performance of event contracts.
As the 2027 events approach, the committee wants the success of these trade shows to be measured by what happens after the meetings, including whether businesses secure contracts, customers, investment and sustained market access.
