Around Africa | The Impact Imbizo will connect African and Indian Ocean tourism suppliers with international buyers through flexible, one-to-one virtual meetings across four Global Pop-Up weeks.
Launching from 24 August to 25 September 2026, the browser-based platform is designed to give smaller, independent tourism businesses a more affordable and accessible route into global source markets.
Instead of several consecutive days of back-to-back appointments, participants can choose the regional activation windows and time zones that suit them. Buyers and exhibitors meet through pre-scheduled, 20-minute video appointments, with windows for Australia and New Zealand; Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Africa; North America and Canada; Latin America and the Caribbean; plus an Open Time option for added flexibility.
“Around Africa | The Impact Imbizo is about giving smaller, independent African and Indian Ocean tourism operators the same opportunities as larger players to be seen, heard and ultimately booked,” says co-founder Thabang Rapotu. “When local businesses thrive, entire communities benefit.”
Co-founder Rudi Wagenaar says the platform was created to complement, not compete with, the existing trade-show calendar. “The industry does not need another intensive meeting marathon,” he says. “But there is still a gap for smaller businesses that cannot always attend international trade shows because of time, cost or capacity.”
Affordability is central to the model. A Standard Exhibitor Booth costs R7,400 and includes a showroom profile, one meeting calendar, search visibility, access across all four Global Pop-Up weeks and participation in the event feed. Businesses that invite at least 10 qualified buyers can join through the Shared Economy Exhibitor Booth for R4,700. No VAT is added to either fee.
The founders are also encouraging larger industry players to sponsor showroom spaces for smaller operators that may otherwise be excluded from global trade opportunities.
The concept builds on virtual tourism collaboration dating back to 2020 and workshops hosted in 2025, which connected participating businesses with approximately 700 buyers. Around Africa now uses dedicated Brandlive event technology to create a searchable virtual showroom floor and streamline one-to-one meetings across markets and time zones.
More than 200 tourism properties, brands, experiences, collections and industry partners are already represented on the first showroom floor, including Airlink, Asilia Africa, The Zanzibar Collection, Xigera Safari Lodge, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Babylonstoren Farm Hotel, Wetu, Wild Frontiers Travel Africa and others.
Buyer participation is complimentary, subject to approval.
Buyer registration is available at https://aroundafrica.co.za/buyers/.
Exhibitor and event information is available at https://aroundafrica.co.za/.
General enquiries: connect@aroundafrica.co.za.
