Botswana’s first TAFISA World Congress is being positioned as a global showcase whose value will be judged by tourism, business, skills development and a lasting Sport for All legacy.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Gaborone will host the 30th TAFISA World Congress from October 18 to 20, 2027, marking the first time Botswana hosts the global gathering and only the second time it is held on the African continent after Cape Town in 2001.
Molefhi Kannemeyer Obenne, chairman of the organising committee, said the congress should deliver benefits beyond hosting an international event. “Our ambition must go beyond simply saying that Botswana hosted an international congress,” he said at a recent press conference.
With approximately 500 participants expected, Obenne said Botswana should view the delegates as potential tourists, investors, institutional partners, researchers, policy leaders and international ambassadors.
Economic Return
Obenne said the congress could support Botswana’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) ambitions by generating demand for accommodation, transport, restaurants, tourism, technology, security, printing, branding, entertainment and communications.
He said procurement and programme design should deliberately consider how much of the value created by the congress can remain in Botswana, how many local companies can participate and how many young people can gain practical experience.
Measuring Value
Obenne said public investment in the congress should produce measurable results. “Whenever public resources are committed to an event of this nature, the public has every right to ask: What will Botswana get back?” he said.
He identified direct economic impact, business opportunities, human-capital development, tourism, institutional partnerships, Sport for All programmes, brand impact and future-event opportunities as areas for measuring the congress’s return.
“Government expenditure must therefore be viewed as an investment portfolio with measurable outcomes, not simply as the cost of three days of conferencing,” he said.
Lasting Legacy
Obenne said the congress should involve government, the Botswana National Sport Commission, private businesses, universities, sport organisations, tourism and hospitality, civil society, media, young people and communities, with benefits extending beyond Gaborone to communities across Botswana.
“Our legacy cannot start when the Congress ends. It must start now,” he said. The organising committee intends for the congress to contribute to Botswana’s Sport for All agenda while supporting skills development, partnerships, tourism and economic activity.
“The world will come to Gaborone,” Obenne said. “Our task is to ensure that when the world leaves, Botswana is stronger than it was before they arrived.”