Convention centre hosts major pan-African events
SANDTON is becoming the preferred location for an increasing number of pan-African events because of the ease of access to Johannesburg and Sandton’s central location in the commercial and business heart of SA, says Sandton Convention Centre executive director, Mati Nyazema.
“This is an exciting time for Africa as the region’s macroeconomic prospects remain positive for the near and longerterm future and the continent looks ahead to opportunities for progress. These high level Africafocused summits are crucially important to the development of the African continent and we are proud to be the host venue.”
SCC has attracted several major Africa-focused events this year with the Second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit for heads of state to be hosted by the South African government at the centre on December 4 and 5. All heads of state/government from African countries, representatives of the African Union, heads of regional organisations and multilateral organisations are expected. The Chinese delegation will be lead by president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.
According to International Relations and Co-operation Minister, Maite NkoanaMashabane, the objective of the event is to “further consolidate the partnership between Africa and China through south-south co-operation, giving special attention to industrialisation and the regional integration of economies in Africa”.
The seventh Africities Summit 2015 will precede the ChinaAfrica conference at SCC from November 29 to December 3. Held every three years, Africities is organised by the United Cities and Local Government of Africa to consider issues that affect urban and economic development in African cities. The convention centre also hosted the 25th Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government for the organisation’s 54 member states in June.
Among the important business events held at the SCC this year was Meetings Africa, which took place in February, attracting nearly 200 international hosted buyers, 50 African associations and 500 corporate travel buyers. The event showcased Africa’s steady climb in the world rankings as a preferred business destination. SA is now ranked 34th most popular business destination globally on the International Congress and Convention Association’s global rankings. The country has hosted 118 international recognised association conferences during 2013, up from its 2012 ranking of 37th and in sharp contrast to the 12 global events held in 1994.
In 2016, SCC will host several events and shows addressing issues that go way beyond Africa. Global events include the CITES 17th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP17), the International Commission on Large Dams, and the inaugural Arnold Classic South Africa sports festival, which will take place in May, featuring more than 42 sporting codes. It will be attended by its namesake, bodybuilder/actor/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is expected to attract at least 10,000 South African and international athletes.
SCC is a purpose-built 12storey structure with 22,000m2 of space, which is designed to hold an array of events concurrently, accommodating up to 10,000 guests at any one time.
Says Nyazema: “We have worked hard to achieve an impeccable track record for hosting large congresses and high-level delegations, providing the ideal platform to facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategy.”