Events & Conferencing News South Africa

International convention centre for Nelspruit

A 5000-seater international convention centre is to be built in Nelspruit to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) has acquired land at the Riverside Park and is currently looking for investors for the construction and development of the centre, which will also have a five-star hotel.

Anton Scheepers, head of trade and investment at MEGA said, “MEGA is acting as a facilitator of the project as part of our mandate to attract new investment into the province. We are still in the process of finding suitable investors to start the project.”

The project had already attracted the support of both the Mpumalanga Provincial Government and the Mbombela Local Municipality in Nelspruit. Potential investors, who will also have the opportunity to co-develop the hotel, were reportedly taken on a site visit in July 2008.

Mbombela municipal spokesperson Vusi Sibiya said the centre would support the province's growing tourism industry.

“The facility will probably be built to international standards and will be able to host national and international meetings like the one in Durban. Conferences and banquets, as well as concerts and selected indoor sporting events, will also be accommodated, not just for the world cup, but beyond that,” he added.

He said the plan was for the centre to accommodate up to 5000 delegates at one time.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews.

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