Sustainability was a core area of focus during the BONDay at Meetings Africa 2025 on Monday February 24, with event organisers and tourism leaders exploring the mechanisms needed to accelerate meaningful change across the continent’s business events sector.
The Event Greening Forum (EGF) – a South African non-profit which aims to promote sustainability within the events sector – outlined its three main organisational objectives to drive sustainable growth, at its AGM held during the trade show.
A key initiative for EGF is the development of a standardised green event certification to eradicate and guard against greenwashing in the industry.
“Trust and transparency are key. This certification framework will ensure that sustainability standards are clear, credible and free from greenwashing. It’s time to set real expectations and hold ourselves accountable,” said EGF Chairperson John Arvanitakis.
Arvanitakis added that EGF will enhance its Green Database, which lists companies that supply green venues, services and products in the business events sector, with data that provides actionable insights into industry challenges and advancements.
Additionally, EGF said it will establish a Youth Chapter, to empower the next generation of “sustainability champions” in the MICE industry.
Including communities
During a sustainability panel discussion, James Mwaura, CEO of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), highlighted the critical role of community empowerment within broader sustainability initiatives.
He explained that the KICC’s operational framework incorporates a policy mandating that 30% of all events procurement be exclusively reserved for women and youth-owned businesses.
“This policy ensures that historically disadvantaged groups have access to opportunities and benefit from the economic activity generated by the MICE sector,” he said.
Bronwen Auret, Chief Quality Assurance Officer at South African Tourism, said that the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) had made progress in effectively bringing the benefits of grading to communities. The Basic Policy Verification Programme enables tourism accommodation such as homestays, who do not meet the core requirements of grading, to access members of the trade and secure funding opportunities to up their basic standards.
“When people come to South Africa, they not only want to enjoy our business eventing spaces, but they also want to engage with the community which they are being brought into,” said Auret.
