Note to Editors: The following remarks were delivered by the Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Cllr Mpho Phalatse, at the opening ceremony of Meetings Africa 2022 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
Minister of Tourism, Honourable Lindiwe Sisulu,
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Honourable Fish Mahlalela,
Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, and the former Mayor of Johannesburg, Honourable Parks Tau,
Johannesburg MMC for Economic Development, Cllr Nkuli Mbundu,
Acting-CEO of SA Tourism, Mr Themba Khumalo,
SA Tourism Interim Board Chairperson, Adv. Mojanku Gumbi,
Delegates, and esteemed guests
Oh, how great it is to have you all in Johannesburg – in person!
After the last two-years mandated the world to meet virtually, whether for work or for a conference, it is almost hard to believe that we are able to converge on Johannesburg like this, for the meaningful and lasting exchange of ideas; for the forming of new business partnerships and the cementing of existing ones; and to put our energies towards restoring an industry that was so sorely affected by a once-in-a-century phenomenon.
Working from home, and organising conferences virtually had its positive elements that will stay with us for decades to come, but I am sure we can all agree that for an industry like yours, the costs outweighed the benefits. And I can say, as someone ultimately responsible for the public purse of a megacity, I am intimately aware of what was lost and the hard road ahead of us.
With that in mind, I turn my focus to the work that we are doing in Johannesburg to revitalise the City and its economy.
From day one in office, the Johannesburg Multi-Party Government identified seven key areas of focus that would not only shape the short-term but our five-year term in office, which would in turn guide our plans to build a new Johannesburg – A City of Golden Opportunities.
All seven of our key focus areas are inter-related but I will elaborate and tie together two of them today.
Priority area four is establishing Johannesburg, already the economic capital of the country, as a business-friendly City.
Why are we so determined to make Johannesburg a place that welcomes and works with business? Because despite what some may argue, businesses – big and small – create jobs and work opportunities, not the government. Our role as the City is to nurture an environment that allows you to trade.
Bringing the issue closer to us all, without the Meetings Africa 2022 conference, 204 people (39 temporary workers, and 165 permanent workers) and their families would go without the dignity that comes with a job. Added to this, the value of events deals done at the last Meetings Africa conference in 2020 is estimated at more than R13-billion or close to US $850-million.
Being a business-friendly City, also ties in with key focus area number two that says Johannesburg must be safe and secure.
With close to 5-million people visiting Johannesburg from the continent and across the globe, annually, for business and leisure, we must be able to ensure their personal safety and the security of their investment.
In business nodes like this across the City, including the Johannesburg CBD, we have deployed a collective local police contingent of 1,800 law enforcement officers to complement existing deployments, and the use of technology advancements geared, towards preventing and acting against crime, because as you all know guaranteed safety and security has a return on investment.
In May, the City will be convening a Business Collaborative Conference, where we will be opening the door to businesses to sit around the table with us, because we cannot build this City on our own. And I hope to see many of you there.
In the same breath, Local, Provincial and National spheres of government must work together if we are to fully realise the economic potential of our country at all levels.
Esteemed Meetings Africa delegates, Johannesburg is always open to you as we advance Africa together and we restore the bridges that makes us make us better together.
I thank you!
