JOHANNESBURG, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa is set to return to the continent in April 2027, ending an almost eight-year hiatus, with the event scheduled to be hosted in either Johannesburg or Cape Town, local media reported Friday.
South Africa's Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, welcomed the development, thanking the WEF for selecting the country to host the prestigious gathering once again, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
"We are ready, able, and willing, and look forward to us being afforded the opportunity," De Lille said. She added that the forum's return represents another "vote of confidence" in South Africa's world-class MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) infrastructure.
Chido Munyati, the Head of Africa and a Global Leadership Fellow at the WEF, confirmed the plan to reporters at the just-concluded WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He stated that the forum will resume its Africa summit in South Africa in April 2027.
The World Economic Forum on Africa traces its origins to the Forum on Southern Africa held in October 1990 in Geneva. From 1993 onward, the forum began convening on the African continent, with Cape Town serving as the first host city.
The most recent summit was held in September 2019 in Cape Town before the event was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global strategic shifts. ■