The Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau is a partnership initiative of the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and the eThekwini Municipality to promote the meeting or business tourism services of KwaZulu-Natal and the metropolitan area of Durban.

Hosting WEF Africa forms part of the province's Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) Strategy. The KwaZulu-Natal lobbied to host WEF Africa in order to enhance the brand equity of both the city of Durban and the province. The KwaZulu-Natal government is lobbying for Durban to be the only city in the country to host the WEF Africa whenever it is taking place in South Africa.

Durban is the only city in the world to have hosted the World Aids Conference twice, an event that is attended by more than 22 000 delegates. The City of Durban is also the proud host of the annual tourism Indaba. This event is considered to be, "one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three 'must visit' events of its kind on the global calendar".

The estimated direct impact of hosting WEF Africa in KwaZulu-Natal will be at least R 64 million, with a total impact of some R 155 million. The estimated job years that will be sustained or generated as a result of this groundbreaking event will be at least 512.

The indirect impacts would of course be due to the expenditure of participants and promoters of conventions and the job creation opportunities that come about. Thus, the direct impact of business events in KwaZulu-Natal alone for this financial year is expected to be as much as R450 million, with a total macro-economic impact of about R1 billion.

A large number of other high profile events are lined up for KwaZulu-Natal over the next few years. The Mice Strategy is expected to generate R1,1 billion in direct investment, which the province expects to translate into R2, 2 billion in macroeconomic impact over three years.

"We want to use the countless resources that are available in our province to further boost our event hosting and conference delivery," said James Seymour, CEO of the Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau.