DESTINATIONS

South Africa’s major cities provide no shortage of meeting options. Meetings goes to town to experience conferencing in each of the country’s largest CBDs.

HOT in the CITY

The hustle and bustle of the city may not be for everyone, but there is one thing that urban areas offer – and that is choice. Cities are built to manage large volumes of people, and this means that they have no shortage of meeting and conferencing venues, or accommodation options. In addition, well-established transport networks within cities make getting from one point to another relatively easy.

Looking at the top three performing economic provinces within South Africa, we examine the hotspots that are best equipped for a substantial influx of delegates.

SANDTON, GAUTENG DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE

Venue: Sandton Convention Centre Capacity: 10 000

Sandton offers exceptional meeting and conferencing options. Sandton Convention Centre is in the heart of the city and next-door to one of South Africa’s most luxurious retail experiences – Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square. The Gautrain station is just around the corner from the Sandton Convention Centre, making getting to and from other points within the province a breeze. Several luxury hotel brands have also found a home within Sandton, with many enjoying decades-long success after laying down roots in the city. They are also well capacitated to deal with larger meetings and events, leaving event planners and organisers spoilt for choice when it comes to putting together an exceptional experience for their attendees. And for fine dining, look no further than the nearby restaurants, which offer exceptional culinary experiences that are sure to delight delegates.

Venue: Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC Complex Capacity: 20 000

Durban calls itself the warmest place to be and, for anyone who is not a local, its weather makes for a pleasant change, particularly in winter when one can still enjoy a temperate climate. For large-scale conferencing, the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre Complex is ideally equipped to handle large volumes of people. The complex has ample parking, and the sprawling venue provides generous spaces in which to exhibit and host conferences. A number of top-end hotels form part of the city’s skyline, providing exceptional accommodation for guests that is also convenient. Finally, several attractions nearby will ensure your delegates don’t have to travel very far when they have the urge to get out. Some of these include the Moses Mabhida Stadium, uShaka Marine World, markets and museums, shopping centres and world-class golf courses, making Durban a must-visit city.

Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) Capacity: 30 000

Cape Town remains one of South Africa’s top visited cities, and its natural beauty makes it easy to see why. The city is blessed with a dramatic mountainscape and an ocean, and most venues have capitalised on this to ensure that they offer the most panoramic views as a unique selling point. Cape Town has among the largest conferencing capacities in the country, with the CTICC able to manage 30 000 delegates at any given time. Several hotels within walking distance ensure that there is more than enough accommodation. They are well capacitated to handle any potential spill-over from the CTICC. To add to its offering, the city of Cape Town has numerous points of interest and activities, including Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront. City Sightseeing Cape Town also provides exciting tours in and around Cape Town for those who want to learn more about the city.