Conference Venues Blog – Conferences in South Africa

Johannesburg has no shortage of  world class conference venues, boasting with some of the world’s premier conference centres. Johannesburg is a popular destination for conferences as it is the financial and economic hub of South Africa. The city produces over 15% of South Africa’s gross domestic product and accounts for 40% of  Gauteng’s economic activity. A variety of manufacturing industries and various banking and commercial companies are located in the city.

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Numerous academic conferences are hosted in Johannesburg each year. It is home to some of the leading private and public universities in South Africa including the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg. The most notable private university in Johannesburg is Monash University which has campuses in South Africa, Australia and Malaysia.

One of the 50 largest metropolitan regions in the world, Johannesburg is the world’s largest city not situated on a river, lake, or coastline. The city’s manufacturing industries extend across a variety of areas such as steel and cement plants, IT, real estate, transport, broadcast and print media, private health care, transport and a vibrant leisure and consumer retail market. Johannesburg is home to the JSE, Africa’s largest stock exchange which has relocated from the central business district to Sandton.

Johannesburg has a terrific deal of conferencing activity, and there are many venues capable of hosting conferences in and around the city. These venues offer conferencing facilities for small to large meetings, seminars, corporate events, functions, training sessions and team building retreats.

Here are some recommended conference venues in Johannesburg:

Tucked away in Johannesburg’s oldest and most elegant suburb, AstroTech Conference Centre is a preferred venue for exclusive weddings, elegant cocktail parties or banquets, top-level negotiations, seminars, leadership coaching and staff training.  The AstroTech Conference Centre is situated in Parktown, close to the Johannebsurg CBD, major highways, fashionable shopping districts, cultural areas, leading broadcast organisations and the airport. The conference centre has facilities for 300 delegates including wireless facilities. It offers state of the art conferencing at exceptionally attractive rates. AstroTech is one of South Africa’s chief executive leadership training and business support skills development groups with a reputation for excellent, courteous and highly professional service.

Conferencing@Softline’s 6 training rooms create an ideal space for informal, hands on practical sessions from 10 – 20 seated delegates. The auditorium, with presentation facilities for up to 150 delegates, is the perfect venue for your conferencing needs. The street scape at the venue offers a free flowing modern and elegant space that provides the perfect outdoor setting indoors. It is perfect for any function, corporate breakfast and lunch, sophisticated dinner, product launch or wine tasting event. With state-of-the-art technology, Conferencing@Softline is a conference and event centre designed for the meeting of minds. Flowing around an open street scape, Conferencing@Softline is a modern, elegant and exquisitely finished centre delivering on quality, exceptional food and décor that is simple and clean.

The conferencing facilities at Delta Environmental Centre include an auditorium which is cosy enough for 40 delegates and seats 186 in raked. The venue offers theatre-style comfort and has a small carpeted stage and large-screen projection facilities (Thompson VHS video projector). The versatile, 20m x 11m Function Room can seat 160 and has been used for cocktail parties, product launches, breakfasts, dinners, seminars, workshops, training sessions and plays. There  are two breakaway rooms: the Indaba Room which seats approximately 50 delegates and the Boardroom which seats twelve. Standard audio-visual equipment such as an overhead projector, direct image projector, flipchart, 35mm slide projector, white board and TV screen and video are available. The Centre is conveniently situated only 15 minutes from either the Johannesburg city centre or Sandton and offers ample, free parking. There are also several comfortable hotels conveniently located in proximity to the Centre.

The Exclusive and executive Emoyeni Conference Centre is situated on one of Johannesburg’s prime estates. It is perched on the highest ridge in Parktown, offering sweeping and breathtaking views extending as far as Magaliesberg. Emoyeni Conference Centre offers warm, private, multi-functional rooms and facilities which are convertible into meeting rooms, boardrooms, lounges, private dining rooms and press rooms. The venue has a charming garden which can be transformed into the ideal wedding or party venue.

The Oppenheimer Conference and Banqueting Centre is located within the Gold Reef City Theme Park and was originally a venue for The Chamber of Mines. With an addition of another two venues,  their reputation for excellence has been carefully built over the last 20 years. Their locality within the Gold Reef City Theme Park means that they can provide an atmosphere that others find hard to beat. Here, you will find South African history and culture and the first 4D theatre in South Africa, as well as an operating gold mine, minting press and a number of shops and restaurants

The Protea Hotel Parktonian offers service levels and warmth which will make your stay an extraordinary experience, whether you are staying for leisure, business or hosting a conference. The hotel has 300 modern suites allowing for a true “Jozi” experience. All suites are one bedroomed units with a separate lounge, bathroom, work desk, leather seat and service area which includes a granite counter, mini-bar fridge and tea/coffee making facilities. Together with their 5 Conference venues and 7 Boardrooms, this property has the capacity to accommodate functions in excess of 450 delegates. Four of the hotel’s conference venues are accessible to wheelchair users. 5 Boardrooms ideal for small meetings of between 2 and 10 people with 2 executive boardrooms which can seat up to 18 people.

The home of horse racing in Gauteng, Phumelela Turffontein Racecourse ranks among the leading horseracing venues in the world. Turffontein is, however, much more than just a racecourse. With a wide variety of cuisine available, their trackside rooms with spectacular views of the Johannesburg skyline are popular venues for all types of functions ranging from weddings and parties to conferences, exhibitions, rallies, corporate relay races and extreme sports. Only 3 km from the Johannesburg CBD with easy access to the motorways, it is paradoxically set in secure and tranquil surroundings with immaculate gardens. Secure parking is available at all times, accommodating up to 3000 motor vehicles. A function at Turffontein is a fantastic, refreshing change from more traditional venues and is suitable for both business and leisure!

Situated in the heartbeat of the corporate mecca, The Wanderers Club provides a beautiful, stylish and elegant atmosphere for any function. Their facilities offer everything in the finest style providing 12 versatile function rooms available for Conferences, Banquets, Cocktail and Weddings. They have ample field space to host corporate events, fun days, team building events and sufficient space to erect marques. The Wanderers Club embodies warm hospitality and service excellence.