South African Tourism invited Chennai to discover its world-class MICE and leisure offerings through the popular Corporate Think Tank series
South African Tourism continued the fifth edition of its flagship corporate engagement initiative, ‘Corporate Think Tank’, with Chennai as the second stop of this leg, hosting the latest edition at Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Cathedral Road, Chennai.
Bringing together senior corporate leaders and travel decision-makers, the engagement created a focussed platform to exchange ideas, understand evolving corporate travel needs and explore new avenues for collaboration. Under the theme “South Africa Invites Chennai to Discover Its World-Class MICE and Leisure Offerings”, the evening highlighted South Africa’s growing stature as a preferred destination for business events, incentive travel and high-value leisure groups from India.
As part of a four-city series, the Corporate Think Tank is designed to build stronger connections between South African Tourism and India’s mighty corporate sector. Through thought-provoking discussions, immersive destination showcases and interactive networking sessions, the initiative serves as a strategic bridge between decision-makers in India and South Africa’s tourism MICE ecosystem. Each edition allows South African Tourism to gather direct market feedback, while presenting its latest products, experiences and facilitation measures to the corporate community.
Chennai has emerged as a strategic focus market for South African Tourism, driven by its robust industrial base, thriving automobile and manufacturing sectors and a rapidly expanding corporate travel segment. With a well-developed MICE infrastructure and a strong culture of outbound corporate events, Chennai is a high-potential source market for both business events and leisure travel to South Africa.
The Chennai edition was led by Deepika Nair, Acting Trade Manager, South African Tourism, who outlined South Africa’s strong positioning as a top MICE destination for Indian corporates.
She highlighted the role of enhanced connectivity and simplified processes in unlocking new possibilities for business travel.
Deepika Nair shared updates on upcoming direct flights from India that are set to strengthen access to key South African gateways, and on ongoing efforts to simplify the travel journey. “With quicker visa approvals in approximately five working days and facilitation measures such as the Trusted Tour Operators Scheme, travel planning for corporate groups and incentive movements has become smoother, faster and more reliable. These initiatives are designed to give Indian companies greater confidence in choosing South Africa for meetings, incentives and conferences,” she said.
Speaking about the strategic importance of the initiative, Gcobani Mancotywa, Regional General Manager for Asia, Australia and the Middle East, South African Tourism, said, “The Corporate Think Tank serves as a strategic platform for the organisation to engage directly with India’s corporate leaders and gain deeper insights into their evolving travel priorities.”
He noted that bringing the initiative to Chennai was especially significant given the city’s industrial strength, entrepreneurial spirit, and rapidly expanding corporate ecosystem, and that the discussions had been both insightful and encouraging, reinforcing Chennai’s role as a key driver of South Africa’s MICE growth story. “As India continues to stand among our fastest growing markets,” he added, “we remain committed to fostering meaningful partnerships and welcoming an increasing number of corporate groups and business events from Chennai to South Africa.”
India’s demographic and economic momentum underpins this opportunity. With 47 percent of India’s population currently aged 15 to 54, rising corporate spending on overseas events, expanding infrastructure and enhanced global connectivity, India is evolving into a global MICE powerhouse. This growth is further fueled by the country’s booming outbound travel market, one of the world’s fastest growing, driven by a youthful and educated population, a rising middle class and increasing disposable incomes. South Africa is positioning itself as a natural and compelling partner in this upward journey.
Over the years, South Africa has emerged as a leading destination for MICE travel from India, thanks to its unique ability to blend serious business with memorable experiences. The country offers a powerful mix of:
Over 3,000 adventure activities suited for team-building, incentives and reward programmes
Iconic wildlife safaris across renowned game reserves
Scenic road trips that combine multiple regions in a single itinerary
Vibrant cities, winelands and coastal escapes
Awe-inspiring natural beauty, often accessible within short driving distances
Many of these experiences can be curated within compact itineraries of under a week, making South Africa highly attractive for time-conscious corporate groups. The Rainbow Nation’s ability to deliver rewarding, cost-effective and value-driven programmes has made it a preferred choice for Indian corporates seeking incentive getaways and business events that leave a lasting impact.
Throughout the networking evening, corporate leaders engaged in conversations around evolving employee expectations, the role of experiences in reward and recognition programmes, and the need for destinations that offer strong infrastructure alongside rich cultural and leisure content. South African Tourism used the forum to showcase how its cities, convention centres, hotels and experience providers work together to offer seamless MICE solutions tailored for the Indian market.
The Chennai edition of Corporate Think Tank reaffirmed the city’s importance in South African Tourism’s India strategy and opened fresh conversations on co-creating future-ready MICE and leisure programmes that speak to the aspirations of Tamil Nadu’s corporate sector.
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