FlySAA successfully hosted a Southern Africa Travel Agents B2B (Business to Business) Speed Networking Session on 30 January at the Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel & Convention Centre in Gaborone. The event brought together regional travel partners, providing a platform to explore new tourism and trade opportunities across Southern Africa.
Welcoming delegates, Ms. Masego Matsila, SAA Sales Specialist in Botswana, emphasized the airline’s role as a strategic enabler of tourism, trade, and regional integration. She highlighted South African Airways’ twice-daily Johannesburg–Gaborone services, positioning the route as a gateway for passenger growth, cargo movement, and seamless onward connectivity within Southern Africa and beyond.
Speaking at the session, Botswana Tourism Organisation Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Justice Ofentse, commended South African Airways for convening a high-impact platform that unites regional travel agents and local tourism operators. He reaffirmed Gaborone’s reputation as a modern, safe, and accessible capital city, suitable for business, leisure, and MICE tourism, while offering easy access to nature and cultural experiences.
Botswana Tourism Organisation actively participated in the B2B speed networking meetings, engaging directly with Southern Africa’s travel trade partners. The interactions focused on strengthening destination awareness, creating packaging opportunities, and positioning Gaborone and Botswana as competitive tourism destinations. The meetings demonstrated BTO’s commitment to collaborative marketing and working closely with airline partners to stimulate demand and drive sustainable tourism growth.
The event highlighted that purposeful connectivity, supported by strong collaboration between airlines and tourism stakeholders, is a key driver of sustained regional tourism performance. The session reinforced Botswana’s potential as a central hub for Southern Africa travel and trade, fostering growth across the region’s tourism sector.
