South Africa’s events industry is firmly focused on the next generation – and the country’s untapped potential.

Johannesburg, 6 October 2025 - South Africa's tourism and hospitality skills gap has become impossible to ignore, with the crisis now dominating industry conversations from Cape Town conference halls to Johannesburg boardrooms. With youth unemployment at 45.5% (despite over half of South Africans being under 35), the need for practical solutions has never felt more urgent.

While many industry players talk about addressing this gap, RX Africa is moving beyond discussion by launching concrete initiatives aimed at building real pathways into tourism careers for young people.

“NextGen is the future of our industry,” says Carol Weaving, Managing Director RX Africa. “If we want real innovation and a healthy future for tourism in South Africa, we have to actively engage students and young professionals – creating new networks, new opportunities and a younger, more inclusive industry.”

Moving Beyond Tokenism

For RX Africa, engaging the next generation is about building a pipeline of real talent for a sector in urgent need. Instead of handing out student discounts just to boost attendance or running surface-level youth panels at events like WTM Africa, FAME Week Africa or Decorex, RX Africa embeds young people in the heart of the industry conversation.

"The traditional conference model where students passively listen to industry veterans doesn't create jobs," says Olivia Gradidge, Marketing Manager RX Africa. "At WTM Africa, we work directly with universities to ensure future industry leaders are designing solutions, not just consuming content."

That philosophy will be front and centre at WTM Africa 2026, with content co-created with university partners, and reflecting the real challenges, dreams and ideas coming straight from campuses across the country – including panel discussions youth can be part of, hands-on workshops focused on industry-critical skills, and networking events designed to build real connections in the professional world.

Giving Young Talent the Mic

Gone are the days when conferences were just long lectures and rows of chairs. RX Africa is reimagining the format to put young people in the driver’s seat.

In 2023, AI-in-business expert Katie King challenged young delegates to create innovative travel tech solutions and pitch them live at WTM Africa. Judged on site with instant feedback, the experience blurred the line between learning and real business exposure and gave students a serious confidence boost in the process.

Brain Box sessions – interactive spaces where students, professionals and industry leaders talk to each other as equals and create meaningful networking connections – are another key feature.

“We’re not speaking at young attendees,” Weaving explains. “We’re speaking with them, sparking genuine conversation and ideas from all levels of experience.” The goal is to break down barriers between generations and find fresh, practical solutions by listening to the people most affected by the skills gap.

More Than Just Events: Year-Round Upskilling

RX Africa knows real progress doesn’t happen in a single three-day event. That’s why they’ve invested in year-round efforts to grow talent in and beyond the tourism space. 

• With Soapbox, they offer pre-event online workshops exploring Sustainability and Responsible Tourism, so attendees arrive already informed and ready to engage.

• With women-in-tourism collectives, they run tailored upskilling sessions that double as safe spaces for women’s personal and professional growth.

• With SAACI, they facilitate curated networking and panel sessions that link emerging talent with industry insiders – creating space for meaningful mentorship.

• And through a growing partnership with Cape Town Tourism, they’re designing workshops that directly tackle the barriers young people face when trying to break into tourism careers. These aren’t top-down lectures – they’re co-created with the learners in mind.

RX Africa also shines a light on people already making a difference – people like Luckson Zambuko, founder of the African Youth in Tourism & Hospitality Association – helping to link grassroots efforts to wider regional conversations and opportunities.

“If we want to transform African tourism, we need to treat young people as co-creators, not just participants,” says Zambuko. “It’s not enough for youth to be in the room; they must have a real voice at the table. When industry leaders listen, mentor and empower the next generation, we unlock solutions that speak to the realities and ambitions of Africa’s future.” 

Measuring What Really Matters

While some organisers track success by numbers – heads through the door or social media reach – RX Africa is interested in something deeper.

“We work closely with our university partners,” says Weaving. “We follow up with participants to see who found internships, landed jobs or connected with mentors after events. That’s the kind of impact we’re aiming for.”

It’s these stories – and the lives changed as a result – that define success more than any headcount ever could.

NextGen Is Redefining the Rules

Hospitality has struggled with outdated perceptions of limited prospects, low growth and few chances for real impact. That reputation isn't helping an industry that desperately needs fresh talent. Young people today aren't just looking for a pay check; they want careers that actually matter. But we're also not seeing fresh talent on stages talking about tourism and the way forward. When they are the next generation leaders, it's not just about getting them into hotels, but giving them voice at industry events where we need to start listening to the next generation and providing them space to be heard and lead the way. Connecting established leaders with young leaders and emerging talent is crucial to the success of not only tourism going forward, but to exhibitions such as WTM Africa.

"Our events thrive when they build communities, not just audiences," says Weaving. "By putting NextGen at the heart of what we do, we're not only bridging the country's biggest challenge, we're uncovering its biggest opportunity."

As the next generation pushes for work that feels valuable, the real test will be how quickly the rest of the industry adapts. If the energy building across RX Africa's platforms this year is any indication, the blueprint being created could very well drive transformation far beyond the event floor.

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For more information contact Olivia Gradidge - olivia.gradidge@rxglobal.com 

About RX  
 

RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people.  RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com. 

 
About RELX

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