RESEARCH

A REPORT FOR AFRICA,

BY AFRICA

Niche Partners, a research and advisory service provider, recently launched the 2021 African Perspectives on the MICE Industry Report in association with Meetings. We hear from the team on its ambitious plans.

Research on the African Perspectives on the MICE Industry Report began a year ago. This is being driven by Niche Partners – a leading research house with a team passionate about research and data, specifically within the MICE industry.

“The research process was not the easiest journey, as Africa is unfortunately not strong on data collection; however, we’ve collaborated with various partners across the continent and the results made all our efforts worth it,” says Londi Khumalo, managing director at Niche Partners.

Although the report does not cover all African countries due to limited data collection in the MICE industry, this is the most comprehensive report available for the sector. It covers 16 MICE-active African countries, which were narrowed down by making use of existing international meetings industry reports and data, and supplemented with further research.

“We are extremely proud of not only the research we have done but the potential revenue and growth possible for the continent, as the insights will help the industry plan for African growth,” says Londi. survey data on leading client and supplier trends.

Four major findings shared during the launch were:

1Africa’s MICE industry is largely still in a nascent stage Niche Partners found that 68.8% of the African MICE market is in a nascent stage. Niche Partners has developed a maturity indicator that considers various factors including the formalisation of the supplier industry in a country, the existence of a MICE sector country strategy, the government prioritisations expressed as a strategy for the MICE sector, and the presence of an active convention bureau in each region. The research found that most of Africa still lacks the necessary structure and prioritisation of the establishment of a MICE industry, with many countries focused on leisure tourism and other sectors.

On the other end of the spectrum, only 12.5% of the researched countries fit into the managed supplier category. These are countries that have met the requirements of having a formalised supplier industry, existing MICE country strategies, together with active convention bureaus established for a period longer than five years.

“It was found that new convention bureaus are being established across the continent but do not yet have performance data that could be used. It was therefore decided that the cut-off of five years enables us to look at past performance and establish whether strategies were implemented,” says the team at Niche Partners in its analysis.

KEY FINDINGS

The launch highlighted key findings across Africa’s broader economic forecasts and source markets related to tourism. The African Perspectives Report takes into consideration the top GDP-generating sectors of each country, and the potential for MICE opportunities in these sectors, as well as primary

2Only 31% of the African countries have existing MICE sector and/or African strategies Niche Partners’ research shows that many ministries of tourism across the continent are aware of the MICE sector’s possible economic contributions but only 31% of the researched countries have existing strategies with proof points of implementation such as convention centres, bid notifications and marketing positioning towards the business events market. It appears that some African countries lack the understanding and necessary skills to formalise their country strategies.

In addition, a component of Niche Partners’ maturity indicator is the priority of an African strategy. This indicator reflects the countries that have an existing African MICE strategy with the prioritisation of intracontinental meetings, incentives, conferences or exhibitions that are rotated at a country level. Unfortunately, none of the countries researched fit this criterion, representing an unexplored opportunity with massive potential for Africa’s MICE industry.

3Economic growth in certain countries is promising The report extrapolates the macroeconomic implications of global country competitiveness and, in particular, the growth of the MICE industry. It highlights that from the MICE-researched countries, 44% are considered fast-growing economies, with 25% currently in recession. The in-depth SWOT analysis of each country enables the industry to further consider the political and social factors that may enhance or inhibit a MICE

Is there a MICE strategy?

YES

NO

Fast growing Recession Stable

growth strategy by considering these regions. The summary means that industries such as the MICE sector should be considered for future intraAfrican growth strategies based on their current and projected economic growth.

Each country prioritises key economic sectors for growth. Within Africa, as an example, a significant proportion of the economy is reliant on agriculture.

“We have especially highlighted these sectors so that our clients know where the low-hanging opportunities exist for conferences, incentives and exhibitions. The report has connected the dots between the economy and the MICE industry,” says Londi.

4At least 250 opportunities exist for intraAfrican rotations The Niche Partners team has collected 250 opportunity MICE prospects that are targeted at the African market on the continent. These 250 opportunities open up vast opportunities for suppliers and clients to discuss rotations on the continent. The opportunities are carefully selected to align with economic sectors that are performing well.

Niche Partners is currently in the process of validating 250 MICE opportunities that are targeted at the African market to determine which ones currently rotate and present opportunities for regional rotation. The African Perspectives on the MICE Industry Report will include this on a complimentary basis for its report buyers.

“We want the report not just to include insights but to offer a great strategic starting point. We believe the African continent is truly alive with opportunities for our industry, and our efforts are geared at being part of the African Union’s mission through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. We are creating the Africa we want and that is an Africa that is growing economically, with reduced unemployment. We’re playing our part in this,” Londi concludes.

The African Perspectives on the MICE Industry Report will be ready for purchase at the end of June. For more information, kindly contact Leana Robson on business@nichepartners.org.

MEET THE TEAM

Niche Partners’ head office is based in Cape Town with a satellite office situated in Durban. Niche Partners was established as a leading knowledge hub for the business tourism industry in Africa. It is a proudly African research and advisory firm focused on developing insights for the MICE industry. The company’s vision is to consistently offer clients cutting-edge research and data by prioritising the quality of research and providing clear, insights-driven and readerfriendly reports. Using qualitative and quantitative research to answer the MICE industry’s call for more African-originated data, the team at Niche Partners hopes to see the MICE sector realising growth and opportunities for its people, and thriving as a platform for innovation and development across Africa. Niche Partners believes this can only be achieved through smart collaborations with future clients, together with well-informed decision-making.

LONDI KHUMALO

With more than 12 years of experience, the managing director and founder of Niche Partners, Londi Khumalo, established the organisation in 2018 as a catalyst for change in Africa. Whether it is behind the scenes or in plain view, Londi is eminently passionate about transforming the economic landscape of Africa through sustainability and delivering exceptional customer services.

LEANA ROBSON

With a career spanning over 13 years, Leana Robson is a business development consultant at Niche Partners. She has worked in high-performing tourism and events businesses, and is passionate about job creation, marketing and creating value for clients. Leana believes that forming real connections with people is the backbone of any business. She joined the team to focus on the development and growth of the Niche Partners’ growing portfolio of African MICE clients.

RIVANIA GOVENDER

Rivania Govender is an experienced project coordinator. With a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry and a strong focus on research, business development and commercial projects, Rivania plays an important role at Niche Partners. Her career began at the iconic Durban International Convention Centre where she moved through the ranks as research and commercial sales coordinator.

CLICK HERE The full video of the launch of the African Perspectives on the MICE Industry Report can be viewed here.