Tracy Mkhize

Chairperson, Cape Town Tourism

Tracy Mkhize is a distinguished hospitality leader and a seasoned Convention Centre executive with over two decades of experience driving excellence in the global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. As an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of Cape Town Tourism (CTT), Tracy provides strategic oversight to the city’s official destination marketing organization, ensuring Cape Town remains a premier choice for travelers worldwide. Her leadership is backed by an Executive MBA and a deep-seated commitment to the long-term sustainability and growth of the tourism and hospitality industries.

 

Recognized as one of the Top 40 Women in MICE, Tracy is celebrated for her proficiency in operational management and her ability to build high-performing, cross-functional teams. She is a leader who leads with trust, empowering her teams with the space to innovate and find their own solutions—a philosophy she believes is key to instilling lasting leadership traits. A Wits University alumnus and a lifelong learner, Tracy is deeply passionate about upskilling both herself and others, ensuring that her work not only meets the gold standard of customer service but also inspires a more resilient and professionalized industry for the future.

Sessions

April 9, Thursday
Venue: Innovation City Cape Town  

 

OTAs: The Next Frontier

 

As we enter The Next 20, online travel agencies face a new frontier shaped by AI interfaces, shifting traveller trust, regional platform strength, and new paths to discovery and booking. Will OTAs become invisible infrastructure, intelligent trip partners, or powerful super-platforms? And as travellers gain more tools and control, how must intermediaries evolve to stay essential? This session brings together global and regional OTA leaders to examine where value will be created next – from product and payments to partnerships and localisation – and how competitive dynamics between global giants and homegrown champions will play out across emerging markets. Expect candid perspectives on what OTAs must reinvent, defend, and double down on in the next era of travel distribution.

 

Speakers:

Andy Hedley, CEO, Travelstart
Albert Fernando, CEO, Travelwings 

Bayo Adedeji, Group Chief Executive Officer, Wakanow

 

Moderator:

Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT