As the representative of the events industry sector in South Africa, the South African Events Council (SAEC) has spent months working to raise awareness of our industry’s dire situation, lobbying the government, and proactively readying the sector for reopening.
The events industry is completely ready to reignite business in a phased manner with safety at the fore of its plans. The protocols defined in the SAEC Event Re-opening Guidelines are aligned with the government’s risk-adjusted strategy and ensures that we operate responsibly in managing the COVID-19 risk. All that remains is to reach consensus with the governmental bodies, with whom interactions have begun.
Over the past two weeks, positive meetings have been held with the Minister of Sports Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa and the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, together with their respective teams, to initiate the process of advocating a defined plan for the reopening of the industry, to include:
attaining governmental recognition and validation of the Events Safety Re-Opening Guidelines
increasing the capacity for organised gatherings from 50 pax to a more viable 50% floor capacity across the board,
achieving financial support for the business event companies who have received little or no, assistance from the government or financial institutions to date.
Extending the current regulations must be done in a way that is acceptable to both the government and the entities it represents while working closely with the South African Police Services and the various local authorities currently governing events across South Africa.
We are confident that both the Minister of Tourism and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture have presented our concern and protocols for our reopening to the Presidency. The SA Events Council is scheduled for several upcoming meetings with both departments to continue working towards the safe reopening of our industry. We salute our industry for enduring this most challenging period with such courage, compassion, and strength; our collective voice is being heard!