The Africa’s Eden MICE Show 2026, in partnership with SAACI, returns to Livingstone from 18 to 20 February 2026, to showcase how integrating business events with destination marketing can drive meaningful connections, regional growth, and lasting impact across Africa’s tourism landscape.
When Africa’s Eden first launched the MICE arm of its popular travel show, it was a significant sign of where the continent’s business events and tourism sectors were headed – their collaboration essential in shaping how the world experiences Africa.
“The beauty of MICE lies in its ability to beat seasonality”, said Jillian Blackbeard, CEO of Africa’s Eden. “Rather than being driven by holiday-focused FIT travel, business tourism, group meetings, and incentive travel often fill destinations when they’re at their quietest. It’s this balance that sustains our region year-round and supports the livelihoods that depend on tourism.”
Now, as the Africa’s Eden MICE Show 2026 returns to Livingstone from 18 to 20 February 2026, the conversation has become more serious. What began as an experimental platform is becoming a model for how destinations can use events not only to drive bookings, but to tell stories, foster partnerships, and create lasting social and economic impact.
At last year’s edition, The Southern African Associations for the Conference Industry (SAACI) CEO Glenton de Kock spoke about the need to view events as living reflections of place — that the experience of an event can mirror the destination’s values, culture, and identity. This year, SAACI joins as a formal partner, continuing that dialogue by helping shape the strategic framework around how the region presents itself to the global MICE market.
Merging tourism, business, and communities
As the MICE industry evolves, the lines between tourism, business, and community are becoming increasingly blurred. Africa’s Eden offers that — a destination where meetings take place against the backdrop of world-class natural beauty, where incentive itineraries flow seamlessly into cultural immersion, and where doing business feels inseparable from understanding the region itself.
“People come here to do business and stay for the tourism,” said Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, during the SAACI National Annual Conference earlier this year. “How we present our communities at these events informs how delegates engage with them during their future visits.” His call to “take your events into the townships” has become a rallying point for event professionals seeking to design experiences that are more connected to the social fabric of their destinations.
The Africa’s Eden MICE Show 2026 takes this thinking and applies it on the ground. Buyers and exhibitors won’t be confined to conference rooms. Instead, they’ll move through Livingstone, Victoria Falls, and Kasane — meeting regional suppliers, visiting properties, and sharing meals in settings that reveal the texture of local life. The programme includes site inspections at landmark venues such as The Royal Livingstone Resort, Chobe Game Lodge, and Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, alongside experiences like township tapas at Dusty Road and sunrise breakfasts on the Zambezi.
Connecting for intent and impact
Africa’s Eden offers a glimpse into what destination marketing may look like in the years ahead: immersive, narrative-driven, and co-created with local communities. The platform brings together tourism boards, DMCs, venues, and suppliers around a shared purpose: to grow Africa’s visibility in the global marketplace through experiences that are unmistakably African in character and world-class in execution.
It also reflects SAACI’s vision for a more connected business events ecosystem — one that bridges travel trade, MICE, and destination management rather than treating them as separate silos.
De Kock repeatedly notes that MICE is not only a business driver; it’s a tool for innovation and transformation. When designed intentionally, events can leave behind infrastructure, skills, and networks that extend well beyond the conference itself.
The Africa’s Eden platform fosters connections that will facilitate this impact, bringing together tourism boards, DMCs, venues, and suppliers come together around a shared purpose: to grow Africa’s visibility in the global marketplace through experiences that are unmistakably African in character and world-class in execution.
Redefining the future of tourism in Africa
The opportunity is not limited to a single event. With new airlines expanding connectivity to Victoria Falls and Livingstone, and with the MICE calendar becoming increasingly global, the region stands at a point where it can position itself as a year-round destination for business events. Unlike leisure tourism, which often follows seasonal patterns, MICE tourism brings consistency — filling hotels, venues, and restaurants during quieter months, and providing steady opportunities for employment and engagement.
By integrating the MICE conversation into the broader narrative of destination marketing, Africa’s Eden and SAACI are helping redefine what the future of the entire tourism industry looks like.
www.saaci.org
www.africaseden.travel
