THE Durban International Convention Centre is a World MICE Awards 2024 winner yet again and has been crowned South Africa’s Best Convention Centre 2024.

This is not the first time the venue has received this recognition as it also won this title in 2020. The World MICE Awards recognise and reward excellence in meetings, incentive, conference, and exhibition tourism worldwide.

The Durban ICC emerged victorious against other South African nominees for 2024 including the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria and the Sandton Convention Centre.

According to the Durban ICC, it has played a pioneering role in attracting international events to South Africa since its opening in 1997 by former president Nelson Mandela and as South Africa’s first International Convention Centre.

The CEO of the Durban ICC, Lindiwe Rakharebe, received the award on behalf of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa at a red-carpet World MICE Awards Gala Ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Wednesday.

Commenting on the win, Rakharebe said that while they had a track record for clinching MICE awards, they decided they would not rest on their laurels and went all out to bring the shield to Durban again for being South Africa's best convention centre.

“The latest award reinforces our claim as Africa’s leading space for hosting several types of events, ranging from corporate conferences to trade shows, academic symposiums, cultural events, and more.

“A successful MICE destination is more than just business, it must create a memorable experience for delegates,” said Rakharebe.

She said Durban’s favourable weather, the infrastructure quality, technical expertise and the blend of unique cultural attractions and activities for participants to enjoy during their stay combined to deliver exceptional event experiences to each and every client.

While the trophy cabinet at the Durban ICC is straining under the weight of the silverware acquired over the years, Rakharebe said that winning awards was a visible demonstration of all the behind-the-scenes hard work from the Durban ICC teams and people whose focus was to continuously provide world-class customer service to local and international clients.

“It is for this reason that the close-knit team strives to maintain the Durban ICC’s strong inherent culture of warmth and hospitality that we are known for, and strives to ensure that each guest leaves the Durban ICC happy and satisfied with the service received,” she said.