The 2027 Cricket World Cup could present South African companies with new opportunities for incentives.
The 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 2 to November 21. The Rugby World Cup in Australia will run from October 1 to November 13.
With the Rugby World Cup already seeing strong demand, industry representatives believe cricket could attract companies looking for alternative ways to reward employees without committing to the higher costs of travelling to Australia.
“Rugby World Cup inventory is already quite low and there’s not a lot of stock left. I think that what you're going to find is that the large companies might run tiered incentives. They will focus on rugby for the main sales campaigns and then maybe do cricket for maybe a lower category of sales,” said Janet Aldworth, MD of Sure Voyager Travel.
Aldworth believes the Cricket World Cup could appeal particularly to smaller companies that may find the cost of attending the Rugby World Cup prohibitive. It could also allow businesses to reward more employees within the same budget.
However, Raoul Canetti, MD of U-Cannect, sees the Cricket World Cup as a corporate networking opportunity rather than a direct replacement for the Rugby World Cup as an incentive destination.
He expects companies to use the tournament to entertain selected clients, with businesses potentially inviting their top customers to watch a match rather than using it as a reward for sales staff.
“The client base is very different because one is networking with clients and the other one is rewarding staff. I don't think someone from Joburg is going to fly to Cape Town and create an incentive.”
He believes companies will participate in both tournaments but target different audiences. “Corporates will do both cricket and rugby and they’ll take different people to each event but I don't see cricket becoming its own incentive drawcard,” said Canetti.
Vic Falls opportunity
One potential opportunity could be combining cricket matches with incentive trips to destinations such as Victoria Falls and Namibia.
“I think many corporates will consider adding a cricket match to an incentive trip to Victoria Falls if the game is worthy. They may have been planning to visit Victoria Falls anyway, with the match becoming an added attraction rather than a cheaper alternative for companies that cannot afford the Rugby World Cup.”
Rising costs
Canetti and Aldworth warned that increased demand around match dates could push up travel costs, particularly as the tournament approaches.
“There's always a tendency for things to go up when there's high demand and I expect Vic Falls flight prices to skyrocket. We should expect higher prices for flights, accommodation, restaurants and excursions as more visitors compete for available capacity,” said Canetti.
Aldworth said securing bookings early would be important. While accommodation is generally included in the packages being offered, flight availability could become a challenge.
“I think flights could be the biggest challenge. There is currently normal capacity, and it remains to be seen whether airlines will add extra services around match dates to accommodate the increased demand.”
