8 minute read
COVER STORY
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal announced as the host of the ‘World Water Congress 2025’ in Beijing, China.
Sonto Mayise – making waves in the business events sector
The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa offers a breathtaking vignette of visuals, ranging from the majestic mountains to the azure sea and white beaches.
Business events are a major economic driver, generating jobs and revenue for communities around the world.
Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau has over the years increased KwaZulu-Natal’s business events share on the African continent, with credit to the hard work of the Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau.
The Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau is ably led by the highly energetic, creative thinker and problem solver, Sonto Mayise, general manager of the Convention bureau. Sonto has been outstanding in relationship development skills and has the ability to key in on strategic partnerships, making the Convention Bureau in KwaZuluNatal one of the most successful bureaux in the continent.
Sonto said you can have the views, the world-class hotels, and state-of-the-art conference centres, but they are meaningless without the warmth of the people.
Sonto was recently appointed to serve on the PCMA advisory board, which is the first time the board has representatives from the Middle East and Africa.
Sonto, is by nature a determined woman, which she has shown by summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in 2019. This is the same determination she shows at work, no matter the task she is faced with. Long before she joined the Durban KZN Convention Bureau, she was making waves in her own right. She is well travelled and is well equipped with skills that set her apart from the rest, with a Masters in Tourism and an MBA from Universidad Europea de Madrid (Spain), it is clear that Sonto really means business and is a great motivation to many.
The Convention Bureau is responsible for bidding for business events nationally and internationally, which have researched potential to contribute substantially to the KwaZulu-Natal economy, and to contribute towards the transformation of the province’s business events sector.
Awards
“Excitingly, KwaZulu-Natal has been recognised in various platforms as the destination of choice for business events, through various awards, as KwaZulu-Natal was announced as ‘Africa’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination 2022 and 2023 at the 29th and 30th World Travel Awards respectively, announced as Africa’s Best MICE Destination 2024 at the 4th World MICE Awards, at the award ceremony that took place on the sidelines of ITB in Berlin,” Sonto said.
Personally, Sonto was recognised for her work by the World Business Angels Investment Forum — Global Excellence Partnership Award at the World Business Angels Investment Forum, World Excellence Awards in 2023, and recently, she was honoured at the African Heritage Awards 2024 — the African Advancement Award forthe promotion of Tourism, in Lagos, Nigeria.
“This is the greatest honour for me, my team, and the province of KwaZulu-Natal. These awards are a testament to the effort by all stakeholders who continue to work with us and trust us with their business events. These awards are globally recognised as the most prestigious honour in business travel and tourism, and the province’s victory in these awards is the ultimate industry accolade. This honour recognises our organisation’s commitment to excellence, which puts our province on a global map and creates a positive image for our destination,” Sonto said.
Bid wins
Sonto said: “The KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau (KZNCB) closed off 2023 on a high and positive note and is ushering 2024 in with several wins already in the bag, to 2030 and beyond. In the past year we saw the province welcoming the world as it hosted major business events i.e.; World Table Tennis Championships, World Business Angels Investment Forum, 8th Africa Agribusiness and Science Week and the FARA General Assembly, African Conference of Agricultural Economists, 13th World Congress of The World Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases and various BRICS side-meetings, to name just a few.”
Economic benefits
“In 2023 alone, the Convention Bureau, together with industry partners, staged over 26 business events. The estimated economic impact generated in 2023 stands at around R1.2 billion for the Province of KwaZulu-Natal. KZN will continue to use business events as a key sector to grow the economy of the province,” Sonto said.
“The Province of KwaZulu-Natal is excited about the future major events that are planned for the Province of KwaZulu-Natal for the years ahead, as the team has been hard at work lobbying for these major events to be hosted in the beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal. For 2024, there
are currently over 30 business events on the events calendar, which will welcome over 30,000 local and international delegates, thus translating into over R2.2 billion in estimated economic impact i.e. the World Water Congress, the Ecocity World Congress, Urban-Agri World Congress, EAPASA Regional Congress and many more!”
Legacy
Sonto said: “Events have the potential to leave a lasting power, extending beyond just the duration of the event. They can even bring MICE participants and local stakeholders together, leading to new business ventures. SMMEs and youth opportunities are also growing in the business events space in KZN, noting though that the growth is slower than expected because of several challenges including the fact that as the Convention Bureau, we do not own the events, we depend on the event owners and associations to deliver on this mandate.”
“As we continue with transformational travel, the CB will continue to push and extend the ‘experience economy’ even further. Transformational travel proposes offering highly memorable, authentic experiences while connecting people with a deeper meaning that leads to personal growth and/or self-actualisation. The concept of transformational travel connects and incorporates concepts of wellness, sustainability, community, and personal fulfilment through social responsibility programmes. To sum it all up, many of today’s incentive travellers desire more than fun in the sun with a piña colada in hand. Whether it’s a large or a small meeting, we will continue encouraging our partners and associations to have some sort of CSR programmes, to have some kind of positive impact when they come to KwaZulu-Natal. Indeed, we are seeing a huge trend in both sustainability as well as give-back components, and, as the Convention Bureau, we would like to encourage our partners and event owners to include this programme in their conference and incentive programmes when hosting in KZN, this will be a long-lasting legacy for the destination, as we rebuild together.”
“As one of Africa’s leading destinations, we have the pleasure of creating unforgettable memories in our exceptional Zulu Kingdom with our unique and diverse offerings.”
The future
“KwaZulu-Natal already holds a strong appeal as a business events destination, and hosting these events will allow us to place KZN at the forefront of the sector’s development and enable all stakeholders to be involved in discussions about the key issues affecting it and shaping its future.”
“We look forward to playing a major role in the success and growth of the business events sector in the destination KwaZuluNatal and we will work closely with the organisers, venues, governments, private sector, and other stakeholders to ensure delegates have the optimum experience in our destination, so that we are able to welcome them back in our province as tourists in the future,” Sonto concluded.
Convention Bureau services
The Convention Bureau provides dedicated assistance to meeting planners, as well as incentive and exhibition providers who are considering KwaZulu-Natal as their next destination.
We provide support on every level, using our expertise, strategic planning and destination knowledge to ensure your conference, exhibition, or incentive in KZN is memorable for delegates and hasslefree for organisers and associations.
• Bidding support
• Government support
• Site inspection
• Delegate boosting
• Local contacts
• On-site event services
• Support when hosting conventions
• Marketing support
The Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau is an independent body dedicated to promoting and marketing the region’s many business events facilities, capabilities and assets, both nationally and internationally. Committed to transforming Durban KwaZulu-Natal into South Africa’s premier meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions destination, the Convention Bureau provides organisers and planners as well as business tourists with the latest information, unbiased advice, and assistance.
Home to world-class facilities, unrivalled event spaces in some of the most beautiful venues, and an incredible climate, all year round, Durban is the only destination to consider for your next big business event.
An award-winning Province where people are the pride of its population, KZN welcomes delegates from across the seas to experience our first-world infrastructure, reliable transportation network, and rich heritage, which is why we encourage ALL OUR GUESTS to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells of this EXCEPTIONAL Province.
#KwaZulu-Natal… The Zulu Kingdom… Exceptional!!
Contact information
29 Signal Road, Point, Durban, 4001
+27 (0)31 366 7580
