Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
AFRICA should shift from competing to host international conferences to creating globally significant business events that are uniquely African, the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) has said.
The call was made on Thursday at the Sanganai/Hlanganani CEO Roundtable held under the theme, “One Region, One Destination: Advancing Integrated and Sustainable Tourism Growth”, held in Masvingo.
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Tongai Mnangagwa opened the event.
Representing INSTAK chief executive Ambassador Kwame Muzawazi, the institute’s recreation manager, Ms Diana Stotombe, said Africa has reached a point where it should stop viewing itself merely as a destination for global meetings and instead become the architect of business events that draw the world to the continent.
“Africa must not only be the venue. Africa must be part of the substance, story and value proposition of the event,” she said.
Ms Stotombe said the continent’s abundant critical minerals, renewable energy potential, creative industries and ongoing economic integration provided a strong foundation for developing internationally recognised events.
“The future of African business events should be about creating events that could only happen in Africa,” she said, adding that such events will attract global decision-makers while generating value across tourism, hospitality, aviation, culture, investment and knowledge exchange.
She said Africa should leverage its comparative advantages to build globally relevant platforms instead of relying on imported conference models.
Ms Stotombe said INSTAK was already translating this vision into reality through Liberation City in Harare, an integrated tourism, heritage, cultural and business events destination anchored by the Museum of African Liberation.
The development also comprises the Heritage Village, Harare Sunset Skydeck and the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Museum in Highfield, all designed to enhance Zimbabwe’s heritage tourism and conferencing offering.
The roundtable also discussed destination competitiveness, regional tourism marketing, aviation connectivity, visa facilitation, climate resilience and digital transformation as key enablers of Africa’s tourism growth.
INSTAK endorsed the “One Region, One Destination” approach, saying regional collaboration would strengthen the continent’s competitiveness in the global tourism and business events market.
The institute said Africa’s ambition should be to shape global dialogue through events conceived and developed on the continent.
“The ambition is simple: Africa should not merely host the world’s conversations. It should increasingly create them.”
