Two green safari vehicles carrying visitors across open grassland in Kenya while a lion walks beside the track

International destination

Africa for corporate offsites and incentive trips from India

Africa offers corporate groups conference cities, wine-estate galas and safaris, with Nairobi and Dar es Salaam about 6 hours non-stop from Mumbai. Compare South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Zimbabwe for groups from India, from Cape Town's winelands to the Serengeti, the Masai Mara and Victoria Falls.

Plan an event in Africa
Flight time
About 6 hours non-stop from Mumbai to Nairobi and Dar es Salaam; one stop to South Africa and Zimbabwe
Visa
An online visa or travel authorisation for each country, applied for before travel
Best months
May to October for game viewing across the region
ICE India in Africa
Planned by ICE India, with vetted local partners on the ground.

Why companies take groups to Africa

  • A reward nobody forgets

    A dawn game drive, a balloon flight over the plains or a first sight of the Falls gives qualifiers a story no city break can match.

  • Conferences and safaris in one trip

    Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi and Harare have ballrooms for 500 or more, and a reserve sits within a short transfer or flight.

  • Camps built for groups

    Safari lodges and beach resorts take 100 to 300 guests, with private dining areas for an awards evening under the stars.

  • Food that feels familiar

    Tanzanian cooking leans on Indian flavours, and Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Zanzibar and Harare all have Indian restaurants.

  • Coast, bush and city

    Zanzibar's beaches, the Cape winelands and the Zambezi gorge give three very different moods within one continent.

  • Dry weather when Indian offsites run

    May to October is the dry season for wildlife, and Cape Town is at its best from November to March, so most months have a good option.

Africa for corporate groups

Africa works for incentives and leadership retreats more than for very large conferences. Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Harare have ballrooms for 500 to 4,500, while Tanzania and Zimbabwe are booked for what lies outside the meeting room.

South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Zimbabwe are covered below, each with hotels, gala venues and Indian restaurants for groups.

You contract with ICE India in Mumbai, in rupees, and we run the ground side through a vetted partner in each country.

Compare Africa's destinations

Flight time, visa and season for every destination on this page.

Africa for groups from India
DestinationFlight from IndiaVisa for Indian passportsBest monthsBest for
South AfricaAbout 11 to 14 hours with one stop from Mumbai and Delhi, via the Gulf, Addis Ababa or NairobiE-visa applied for online, filed for the whole groupNovember to March for Cape Town; May to September for Kruger and PilanesbergConferences, wine-estate galas and Big Five game drives
TanzaniaAbout 6 hours non-stop from Mumbai to Dar es Salaam; one stop from other cities; Zanzibar via Dar es SalaamE-visa applied for online, or a visa on arrivalJune to OctoberSerengeti safaris and Zanzibar beach resorts
KenyaAbout 6 hours non-stop from Mumbai to Nairobi; one stop from other cities, usually via MumbaiElectronic travel authorisation applied for online before travelJanuary to March and July to OctoberThe Masai Mara, Amboseli and Nairobi conferences
ZimbabweOne stop via Johannesburg, Nairobi or Addis Ababa; about 1 hour 45 minutes by air from Johannesburg to Victoria FallsE-visa applied for online, or a visa on arrivalFebruary to May for the Falls; May to October for wildlifeVictoria Falls, Hwange elephants and large conferences in Harare

Africa destination by destination

Four destinations, each with hotels that take groups, a gala venue and Indian restaurants.

The flat rock face of Table Mountain above slopes of yellow wildflowers
An elephant raising its trunk on a sandy riverbed in Kruger National Park

Cape Town's vineyards, Johannesburg's museums and the Big Five

South Africa

South Africa is the one African trip that joins a conference city to a safari. A group can open in Cape Town or Johannesburg, meet for two days, then reach a Big Five reserve by a short drive or flight.

Cape Town suits leadership retreats, with Table Mountain, beaches and the winelands. Johannesburg suits large conferences and city tours. Pilanesberg and Kruger add game drives for the incentive winners.

Places to visit
Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Stellenbosch wine estates near Cape Town; the Apartheid Museum and Maboneng in Johannesburg; game drives at Pilanesberg and Kruger.
Team activities
Wine-estate treasure hunts at Stellenbosch, beach games on the Atlantic coast, and a bush breakfast after a dawn game drive in Pilanesberg.
Gala dinner venues
The ballroom at the Sandton Convention Centre takes up to 1,500 guests. The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City and the Stellenbosch estates suit awards dinners.
Indian restaurants for groups
Bukhara and Bombay Brasserie at the Taj in Cape Town, Prashad Café for vegetarian meals, and Ghazal and The Raj Sandton in Johannesburg.
Food, souvenirs and shopping
Try bobotie, boerewors and biltong. Bring home rooibos tea, Cape Malay spices and painted ostrich eggs from the V&A Waterfront and Greenmarket Square.
Selected corporate venues in South Africa
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
The Westin Cape TownForeshore, beside the convention centre48319 event roomsGrand Ballroom: about 5,880 sq ft, 500 guests
Sandton Sun and TowersSandton, JohannesburgNot availableBusiness suites plus the Sandton Convention Centre next doorConvention centre ballroom: up to 1,500 guests
The Palace of the Lost CitySun City, Pilanesberg3264 meeting rooms plus the Sun City Convention CentreRoyal Chamber: about 1,740 sq ft, 150 theatre
A wooden dhow under sail against an orange sunset off Zanzibar
A herd of wildebeest crossing a river in the Serengeti

The Serengeti, Zanzibar and Stone Town

Tanzania

Tanzania pairs the Serengeti with Zanzibar, so one programme can end a safari with days on a white beach. Dar es Salaam is the business city, with hotel halls that hold 300 to 400 guests.

Zanzibar suits resort groups of up to 200, with Stone Town's alleys and the spice farms close by. Serengeti camps take smaller incentive groups, and domestic flights link all three.

Places to visit
The Serengeti plains and the wildebeest river crossings, a picnic in Ngorongoro Crater, Stone Town's alleys and sultan's palace, and the spice farms of Zanzibar.
Team activities
A balloon flight over the Serengeti, a sunset dhow cruise with a seafood supper, safari car rallies, treasure hunts and a spice-farm tour.
Gala dinner venues
In Dar es Salaam, the Kili Marquee at the Hyatt Regency holds about 400. In Zanzibar, a lantern dinner on the beach at Meliá.
Indian restaurants for groups
Silk Route and Harbour Indian Kitchen in Stone Town, and Chowpatty and Mumbai Spices in Dar es Salaam.
Food, souvenirs and shopping
Try pilau, mishkaki and chapati, with Zanzibar seafood. Bring home Tingatinga paintings, Maasai beads and Zanzibar spices from the Stone Town markets.
Selected corporate venues in Tanzania
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam The KilimanjaroCity centre, on the seafront18210 event roomsKili Marquee: about 4,840 sq ft, 400 guests
Meliá ZanzibarKiwengwa, east coastNot available5 event roomsConference Room: about 2,800 sq ft, 200 theatre
A herd of elephants grazing in front of Mount Kilimanjaro at Amboseli
A hot-air balloon above the Masai Mara plains with giraffes walking along a track below

Nairobi's ballrooms, the Masai Mara and Amboseli

Kenya

Kenya sets a capital city and a famous reserve within a short flight of each other. Groups meet in Nairobi's hotels, then fly or drive to the Masai Mara for game drives and a bush dinner.

Nairobi's best hotels hold ballrooms for 500 to 600, and a national park lies on the city's edge. Amboseli frames elephants against Kilimanjaro, and Lake Nakuru adds flamingos and rhino for a day.

Places to visit
The Masai Mara reserve, Amboseli beneath Kilimanjaro, Lake Nakuru's flamingos, and in Nairobi the National Museum, the Karen Blixen Museum and Nairobi National Park.
Team activities
A balloon flight over the Mara with breakfast by the hippo pool, a game-drive treasure hunt, Maasai village visits and sundowners round a campfire.
Gala dinner venues
The Fedora Ballroom at Villa Rosa Kempinski seats 500. For a wilder evening, a bush supper with dancers and lanterns on the Mara plains.
Indian restaurants for groups
Haandi in Westlands for fine dining, Anghiti, Tandoori Patio and Clay Oven for roomy tables, and the vegetarian Chowpaty.
Food, souvenirs and shopping
Try nyama choma with ugali and kachumbari. Bring home kikoy cloth, Maasai beadwork and Kisii soapstone carvings from the Maasai Market.
Selected corporate venues in Kenya
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Villa Rosa KempinskiWestlands, Nairobi200Fedora Ballroom plus meeting roomsFedora Ballroom: about 6,750 sq ft, 500 guests
Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi Upper HillUpper Hill, Nairobi27114 event roomsMount Kilimanjaro Ballroom: about 6,350 sq ft, 600 theatre
Victoria Falls dropping into the Zambezi gorge in warm evening light
An elephant and a zebra in a dusty clearing in Hwange National Park

Victoria Falls, Hwange's elephants and Harare

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's draw is Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of falling water in the world, with the Zambezi river and two national parks around it. Incentive groups of 100 to 300 stay at the resorts above the gorge.

Harare is the capital and the place for large conferences, since Rainbow Towers sits beside a 4,500-seat auditorium. A programme can open in Harare, then fly to the Falls for the reward days.

Places to visit
Victoria Falls, Zambezi National Park, Hwange's elephant herds, and near Harare a hike to 6,000-year-old rock art, Lake Chivero and the Mukuvisi game woodland.
Team activities
A Zambezi sunset cruise, a night drive or walking safari in Hwange, boating and picnics at Lake Chivero, and horseback rides at Mukuvisi.
Gala dinner venues
The Boma seats up to 320 for dinner with a drum show. The Kalala Room at Elephant Hills seats 280 at tables, and the Livingstone Room about 100.
Indian restaurants for groups
Bukhara, Spice Lounge and Taj Restaurant in Harare, and Aurum across the border in Livingstone, Zambia, each with vegetarian dishes on the menu.
Food, souvenirs and shopping
Try sadza with stew, game meat and mapopo candy. Bring home stone sculptures, wood carvings and beadwork from the craft markets at the Falls and in Harare.
Selected corporate venues in Zimbabwe
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Elephant Hills ResortAbove the Zambezi, Victoria Falls2768 conference roomsKalala Room: 500 theatre, 280 banquet
The Victoria Falls HotelBeside the Victoria Falls Bridge161Pullman Suite and Livingstone RoomLivingstone Room: about 100 dinner guests
Rainbow Towers Hotel and Conference CentreHarare29319 conference rooms plus an auditoriumAuditorium: 4,500 seats

Planning an event in Africa: questions

Can one Africa trip include a conference and a safari?

Yes. Most groups hold the meetings in Nairobi, Johannesburg or Cape Town, then move to a reserve or the coast for the incentive days. ICE India builds the two halves as one programme with one set of transfers.

Which destination suits the biggest event?

The Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg takes up to 4,500 in its Pavilion, and the auditorium at Rainbow Towers in Harare seats 4,500. Cape Town and Nairobi hotels take 500 to 600 in their ballrooms.

How many nights does an Africa programme need?

Five or six nights suit most groups, with two in the city and the rest on safari or at the coast. A trip that adds a second country usually needs two more.

Can we combine two countries?

South Africa with Zimbabwe is the easiest pairing, because Victoria Falls is under two hours by air from Johannesburg. Each country needs its own visa application, which ICE India files for the group.

We are a destination company or tourism body in Africa. How do we reach Indian buyers?

ICE India offers India representation to tourism boards, bureaux and destination companies. Read how a mandate starts on the Destination Representation page.

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Photographs via Wikimedia Commons: Dietmar Rabich, Timothy A. Gonsalves, Reginald Victor Runyoro, Faypearse, Matthias Bethke, Kamusiyakitaa, Wajahatmr and NaturalWorldKenya (CC BY-SA 3.0 to 4.0); Pierre-Selim Huard, Ninaras and Markmccauley (CC BY 4.0). Other photographs are from public sources and remain the property of their owners.

ICE India runs this from Mumbai

ICE India is a corporate event management and MICE company, founded in Mumbai in 2009. We have delivered 1,500+ events, with 98% client retention.

In Africa, ICE India holds the contract in India and works with vetted local partners in each country, from Cape Town to Nairobi. A single point of contact covers the programme, end to end.

ICE India plans incentive trips and offsites in Africa and runs conferences there. Share the group size, the dates and whether you want a conference city, a safari or both, and we come back with a shortlist and a quote. We reply within one working day.

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