The Soweto Chapter of the Township Events Business Council of South Africa (TEBCO-SA) has come on board as the 14th member of the South African Events Council (SAEC). 

SAEC is an industry-wide coalition that unites event industry-related associations with a unified voice in all interactions with the various government departments and bodies for whom the hosting of events is an area of focus.

The Soweto Business Events Council (SOBEC) was formed to specifically address the challenges faced by the local township business events industry. It aims to develop the business event sector in Soweto by providing resources to promote standards, broaden the industry knowledge base and provide professional development opportunities. 

"As SOBEC, we are looking forward to developing sustainable solutions for the township event business industry, but as the pandemic wreaks havoc across all sectors, including Soweto Tourism, it makes sense to align our efforts with the broader industry through the SAEC,” said SOBEC Executive Director, Bheki Twala.

The collaboration kicked off on October 24 at SUD Restaurant in Vilakazi Street and local restaurateurs, business owners and events managers were introduced to the SAEC team.

"Our industry has been hit hard and it has been a long and tough road lobbying to get our sector re-opened. Government has put their trust in us to play by the rules and we are pleased that the industry has joined our workshop in Vilakazi Street, recognising the importance of abiding by these protocols as set out by the Event Safety Council. It is critical for our industry to ensure the safety of our clients so that trust and confidence may return in order for us to start trading again, generating much-needed income across our supply chain," said SAEC Chairperson, Tes Proos.