About Conference
Tourism and Infrastructure Investment: Driving Economic Transformation and Enhancing Community Well-Being
THE FORUM
Unlocking Growth Through Strategic Impact Investment in Tourism and Related Sectors
The Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA) provides the ultimate platform for destinations to accelerate their economic growth ambitions by promoting and profiling investment opportunities within their tourism and related sectors. TIFA connects key players in tourism to foster actionable dialogue, networking, and unlocking of investment opportunities across the tourism value chain.
Global Vision, Local Action
Built on the principle of “a global platform for local action,” TIFA seeks to shine a spotlight on secondary and tertiary cities and regions, showcasing them as premier investment and tourism hubs. By positioning these regions for sustainable growth, TIFA helps drive their economic ambitions while providing access to critical capital, networks, and strategic insights on investment in trade-in-services sectors such as tourism.
Fuelling Broader Economic Impact
Beyond tourism, TIFA fosters investment across other sectors that contribute directly and indirectly to the business travel and tourism economy. From nurturing start-ups to supporting established businesses, TIFA seeks to catalyse regional economic development and expand business opportunities in host destination and participating destinations.
Forum Overview
The Forum brings together a mix of key decision-makers, including local and international business leaders, government ministers, financial institutions, and private investors. By offering a unique platform to present market-ready tourism projects, the TIFA enables African destinations to secure investment, ensuring long-term economic success. The inaugural event was hosted in Kanoneiland, Upington in 2023, followed by a second edition in Cape Town during the WTM Africa in April 2024.
Strategic Intent
“Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA) showcases Africa’s tourism investment potential by positioning emerging destinations as prime investment hubs and connecting projects with investors.
The Key Objectives of the Tourism Investment Forum Africa are to:
- Raise Awareness & Showcase Opportunities: Highlight the destination’s investment climate, spotlighting key programs and high-priority projects to attract investor interest.
- Position Destinations as Prime Investment Hubs: Promote the destination as a leading location for tourism and related investment opportunities, enhancing its global appeal.
- Connect Projects with Investors: Facilitate direct engagement between project owners and investors through expertly packaged investment opportunities.
- Foster Business Relationships: Enable meaningful connections between stakeholders and investors, paving the way for real, actionable projects and
collaborations. - Drive Trade & Knowledge Exchange: Promote trade, business, and investment opportunities while sharing insights on the latest trends in tourism, travel, and investment sectors.
- Access to potential funders/investors
- Access to business opportunities and networks
- Access to bankable investment projects across the tourism value
- B2B exchange and networking opportunities
- Profile and visibility for your product or service
- Insights and knowledge exchange on global investment trends
- Trade opportunities for local businesses (hotels, transport etc)
- Trade and investment Promotion Agencies
- Tourism Promotion Agencies/Entities
- Chambers of Commerce
- Foreign Missions Trade Attaches
- International and Local speakers and experts
- Foreign missions representatives
- Invited local and international investors
- Project owners and sponsors
- Businesses in the tourism, hospitality, travel and related sectors (transport, real estate, construction, aviation, equipment manufacturers)
- Business chambers
- Development Finance Institutions
- Financial institutions
- Private Equity Companies
- Venture Capital Companies
- Small Enterprise Development Agencies
- Policy makers
- Policy Makers/Government
- Local municipality and district project promoters
- Departments of Tourism, Transport, Trade & Industry, etc
- Universities
- Research institutes
PROGRAMME THEMES
- Collaborative Business Exchange
- Trade Finance Exchange
- Enabling Tourism Through Infrastructure Investment
- Africa’s Tourism Demand and Investment Landscape
- Innovating Project Financing
- Tourism & Hospitality Ventures
- Tourism and Real Estate
- Tourism and Real Estate
- Partnerships for Sustainable Sub-Sovereign Investment Growth
- Tourism, Film, Culture and Place Branding
- Investing in People, Plane and Prosperity
- Technology and Innovation in the Age of AI
EVENT FORMAT
DAY 1
- Project Site Visits
- Start Up Pavilion
- SME Business
- Exchanges
- SME Exhibition
DAY 2
- Conference
- Investment Opportunity Presentations
- SME Exhibition
DAY 3
- Conference
- SME Exhibition
ABOUT THE ORGANISERS
Millvest is a South African company that operates services in different sectors of the economy. Our primary service offering is client-need-driven advisory, consulting and project management services in the tourism, hospitality and convention industries. We also undertake investment facilitation in these and other sectors of the economy.
Miller Matola, the Founder and Director of the company has more than 25 years’ experience in management and leadership roles in the Tourism and Business Events Industries collectively. His experience and expertise spans areas such as Tourism Quality Assurance, Destination Marketing, Event Venue Operations, Event Organising, Tourism Business Consulting and Investment Facilitation. He participates on various platforms as a speaker, both in South Africa and across the Continent. He has also led country branding initiatives for South Africa, in which role he was responsible for numerous investor and stakeholder outreach initiatives in the USA, China, Kenya, Nigeria, Australia, UAE, as well as at major multi-national platforms such as World Economic Forum, State Visits, BRICS Forum and the Global Forum.
Since its establishment in 2015, Millvest has organised or managed several high level investment conferences and missions for both local and international clients, including North West Investment Mission (2015), Tshwane Trade & Investment Conference (2016), North West Trade & Investment Conference (2017), Africa Tourism Leadership Forum (2019), Zhejiang-South Africa Tourism Seminar (2019), Tshwane Investment Summit, 2019, Africa’s Travel & Tourism Summit (2021),and BON Day Business Seminars and Workshops at Africa’s Travel Indaba (2022) and the Ghana- South Africa Week Tourism & Investment Conference – 2022
Millvest has also provided advisory, project management and investment facilitation services on various projects across the agribusiness, mining, energy, tourism and convention industries.
SOME OF OUR PAST PROJECTS
- Ghana- South Africa Week Tourism & Investment Conference - 2022
- Africa’s Travel Indaba Business Networking Workshops and Seminars - 2022
- Africa Travel & Tourism Summit – 2021
- Agritech Africa Launch - 2019
- Tshwane Investment Summit 2019
- Zhejiang Province – South Africa Tourism Seminar and Expo, 2019
- Africa Tourism Leadership Forum – 2019
- North West Trade and Infrastructure Investment Conference 2017 (Matlosana)
- Tshwane International Trade and Investment Conference – 2016
- South Africa China Economy and Trade Association Investment Mission – North West – SACETA 2015