Africa’s MICE sector remains constrained by lack of reliable, integrated data, making it difficult to measure the industry’s true size, identify high-potential markets or attract investors. This was one of the topics discussed at the recent Africa MICE Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Since its launch in 2018, the Africa MICE Summit has consistently highlighted the sector’s greatest challenge: lack of authentic data. Kenya, for instance, cannot accurately state how many MICE delegates it hosted last year; most available figures are categorised under general business travel, which includes trade and other activities,” said Kezy Mukiri, Convener of the Africa MICE Summit.
Without data on delegate numbers, spend or length of stay, governments and investors cannot allocate resources effectively. Reliable information would also help quantify the sector’s GDP contribution, job creation and multiplier effects across hospitality and transport.
Missed opportunities
For the African Continental Free Trade Area, robust MICE data could reveal opportunities for cross-border business networking and intra-African trade. “Even if we targeted 10% of Africa’s population, lives would be changed and economies would shift. But we don’t know the size of our meetings industry, what we are measuring or what it will take to make a difference,” said Mulemwa Moongwa of MPI Africa.
Barry Clemens, Group CEO of Hospitality EQ, highlighted the fragmented nature of MICE data in Africa. “Hotels track room nights, venues record delegate numbers and airlines monitor arrivals but these pieces are rarely connected,” he said. The indirect economic value of deals and partnerships is also missing from statistics despite often outweighing direct spend.
Policy blind spots
Poor data quality directly affects policy and planning, Clemens added. “Governments may overbuild or underbuild convention centres, miss opportunities to use events to boost low travel seasons or struggle to justify investments in new infrastructure. The private sector also suffers; investors and developers need solid insights to decide where to allocate resources.”
Some destinations, like Kigali and Arusha, now require organisers to report event data but even these efforts fall short in capturing wider business outcomes, said Clemens. He suggested standardised datasets gathered via registration, badge scanning and post-event surveys. Governments could mandate reporting as a condition for public support while quarterly national data hubs would provide vital insights, he added.
Beyond tourism spend
Geoffrey Manyara of the UN Economic Commission for Africa said tourism satellite accounts, like those recently developed in Kenya and Ethiopia, do not fully capture wider MICE trade and social impact. He pointed to Naivasha, Kenya, where MICE generates significant revenue but is overlooked in global rankings.
MICE accounts should not just to measure tourism flows but the broader economic, social and trade benefits MICE generates for local and national economies, he added.
To address the gap, the Africa MICE Summit commissioned Niche Partners, a South Africa-based consultancy, to produce a report profiling 16 destinations across North, South, East and West Africa. While preliminary, the report provides a foundation for policymakers to identify trends, understand how MICE interacts with other sectors and recognise opportunities for strategic investment.
