WE ARE UNITED

WE ARE AFRICA AND CITY OF CAPE TOWN ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

At We Are Africa we are committed to challenging outdated, monotone perceptions of the continent by showcasing the diverse stories of modern Africa with our Not One Story philosophy. As part of this ambition, we are delighted to announce our new partnership with the City of Cape Town, in which we will highlight the city’s vibrant climate of innovation that continues to allow We Are Africa to break convention in spectacular style.

Cape Town’s combination of incredible natural beauty, world-class infrastructure and cultural zeitgeist made it an obvious choice to host We Are Africa’s first event in 2014, so we are pleased to formalise this affinity as we look towards the future growth of the show. The city’s presence on the global stage, reflected with the arrival in recent years of events such as World Design Capital and the World Cup, mirrors We Are Africa’s efforts to bring the world’s best travel buyers and press together to discover and share the stories and unconventional products being created by our African exhibitors.

Going forward, the City of Cape Town will provide increased support to We Are Africa to guarantee that the event remains in Cape Town. We Are Africa will continue to involve the city in the planning and execution of the event by hosting our buyers and media in six local luxury hotels; inviting resident consumer outlets including coffee shops and breweries into the show space for brand exposure; focusing on community engagement with our Untold Stories initiative, which will be providing a platform to local non-profit Uthando (LOVE) South Africa in 2015; and not least, bringing 250 exhibitors, 255 buyers and 15 travel press to Cape Town.

CEO of Beyond Luxury Media, Serge Dive, summarises: “We’re now in a unique position as a show to have the full backing of the Country, Province and City through our official partnerships with South African Tourism, Wesgro and the City of Cape Town respectively. We’re delighted to secure a partnership with the City to co-host and warmly welcome the highly influential travel buyers, media and exhibitors that are coming to experience Cape Town first-hand as both a leading international business and leisure destination.”

Citing the benefits such an event can bring to the city, Councillor Gareth Bloor, Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, comments “We Are Africa brings a unique opportunity to the City that allows us to showcase Africa’s talent in Cape Town and position Cape Town as a global city in Africa. The trade show ties perfectly into our mission to become an inclusive City in which economic opportunities are in abundance. We are therefore pleased to host this trade show this year and will continue to work to create the economically enabling environment that sees the travel market flourish in Cape Town”.

John Segar