In 2003, IIFA returned to South Africa. This time, the sun-kissed shores of Johannesburg was the destination.

For the IIFA Forum, Ramesh Sippy, Smita Thackeray, Kunal Dasgupta, Shyam Shroff and Harish Dayani sat together with moderator Vir Sanghvi and discussed piracy and explored new revenue streams for the industry.

The first-ever IIFA Foundation Charity Celebrity Cricket Match was organized at the Centurion Grounds. It was supported by the entire IIFA contingent, consisting of Indian and South African film stars, celebrities, cricketers, government leaders, IIFA's South African partners and Indian and South African fans.

The IIFA Awards ceremony shone bright at the Dome at Northgate. The evening was a stunning showcase of talent and Indian charisma. Hosts Anil Kapoor and Diya Mirza swept the audience with charm. Las Ketchup, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Shilpa Shetty, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Ajay Jadeja set a scorching pace with their electrifying performances. With the light of a million stars shining down upon it, this edition of the IIFA Awards 2003 closed.