Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille announces Meeting Africa 2026 and Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 dates

​​​The Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, and the South African Tourism Board, are pleased to officially announce the 2026 dates for the two South African Tourism-owned and African continent's leading trade shows, Meetings Africa and Africa's Travel Indaba.

Meetings Africa will take place from 23 to 25 February 2026 (Business Opportunity Networking Day, 23 February), while Africa's Travel Indaba will be held from 11 to 14 May 2026 (Business Opportunity Networking Day, 11 May).  

“These are not just dates, they are important milestones in our continent's tourism and business events calendar," said Minister De Lille.

“They are South African Tourism's commitment to partnering and working with the global tourism and business events sector, to facilitate valuable connections with various partners from across the globe. With this announcement, we are affirming South Africa's position as a leading host of world-class business events."

Meetings Africa continues to be the continent's leading business events trade show partnering with the rest of the African continent to position Africa as a capable, creative, and competitive destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).

Africa's Travel Indaba continues to be one of the leading leisure tourism marketing events globally, bringing together African tourism products, services, and stories.

Through both these trade shows, South African Tourism contributes to tackling unemployment, drive economic impact, and expand market access, particularly for small players promoting long-term sector sustainability and inclusive economic growth.

South African Tourism is currently undertaking a competitive bidding process to appoint host cities for both trade shows from 2026 for the next five years. This process provides an opportunity for the events to evolve and innovate while delivering maximum impact for all stakeholders.

Media Queries:

Mr. Mncedisi Mtshali - Chief of Staff in the Office of the Minister of Tourism
Email: mmtshali@tourism.gov.za
Mobile: +27 73 651 5109

Thandiwe Mathibela
South African Tourism
Email: Thandiwe@southafrica.net​

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