As Africa approaches the end of 2021 and enters into a post-COVID-19 chapter, premier tourism destinations such as South Africa are beginning to reopen as Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibition (MICE) destinations. Cape Town, in particular, as one of the continent’s top MICE destinations, is ready to welcome business travellers back to its internationally recognized venues. With economies gradually reopening again - driven by vaccination drives continent-wide – African Energy Week (AEW) 2021 in Cape Town is leading the way for the future of African events.

Representing the first major pan-African event to take place on the continent since 2019, AEW 2021 acts as a trailblazer for other events. With its transformative event format and COVID-19 protection measures, AEW 2021 will set the tone for other African-hosted events, and further emphasize that events can take place in Africa in 2021. Hosted in Cape Town – a top MICE destination which hosts Africa’s premier conference venues – on the 9^th-12^th of November, AEW 2021 will not only be critical for the economy but will be significant in determining the future of African events.

AEW 2021 will change the way events take place in Africa, setting the tone for platforms that boast both a regional and international attendance base. Through its multi-venue event format, AEW 2021 creates fundamental opportunities for participants, enabling event attendance numbers higher than ever before, while at the same time ensuring COVID-19 social distancing requirements are met. AEW 2021’s success will essentially create the opportunity for other events to take place post-COVID-19, opening the door by demonstrating how to host an event during COVID-19. Rather than running away to international conference venues, AEW 2021 is committed to Africa and will showcase this by hosting the event in Cape Town. Thereafter, one can expect numerous events from across multiple sectors to take place, all attributed to the success and opportunities created by AEW 2021.

“AEW 2021 is committed to Africa, and we will not neglect the continent at a time when it needs us most. African energy events can and will take place this year and AEW 2021 will serve to prove this. With its innovative event structure, AEW 2021 will set the tone for other large-scale events in Africa. The event is ground-breaking, modern, and imaginative, and will pioneer the future of both African and global events as we know them,” stated Katie Briant, Operations and Event Director for AEW 2021. 

Already, there have been a range of large-scale events already taking place and announced for 2021 in South Africa. Notably, Comic Con Cape Town - a multi-genre entertainment, comic and fan convention – took place on the 2^nd of October through a series of pop-up activities. Additionally, the Intra-African Trade Fair 2021 is taking place in Durban on the 15-21 November, hosting over 5,000 conference participants from all over Africa. South Africa will welcome delegates from all over the world and across multiple sectors in 2021 and beyond. These two events, driven by the opportunities created by AEW 2021, further emphasize that Africa is ready and capable to host events.

AEW 2021, in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy DMRE, is the AEC’s annual conference, exhibition and networking event. AEW 2021 unites African energy stakeholders with investors and international partners to drive industry growth and development and promote Africa as the destination for energy investments.