KragDag 2026 was held from 6 to 8 August at Diamantvallei Landgoed near Rayton, about 20km east of Pretoria.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Soné Saunders, KragDag’s operational manager, said the expo continues to grow in both visitor and exhibitor numbers every year. She added that this year’s event attracted 34 000 visitors, making it the largest KragDag to date.
This year’s theme, ‘Drops become streams, streams become rivers’, emphasised how small individual initiatives can combine to create significant change. The theme was reflected in the expo’s agricultural component, as many of the technologies on display, including precision farming, drones, data systems, water management, alternative energy, small-scale equipment, and livestock technologies, are practical tools that can help farmers become more efficient and resilient.
From small beginnings to major growth
KragDag has grown significantly over the years. What began as a small alternative-energy event in 2008 in response to South Africa’s energy crisis has since become a major self-reliance expo.
In 2016, it attracted 11 500 visitors; by 2018, this had increased to 15 700. In 2022, attendance reached about 31 000, with visitor numbers subsequently remaining above the 30 000 mark. In 2025, a total of 32 500 visitors were recorded, and with 2026 attendance at 34 000, the expo is attracting roughly three times as many visitors as it did a decade ago.
Agriculture became a formal component of KragDag in 2019, when a full agricultural sub-expo was introduced in partnership with TLU SA. Today, agriculture is no longer simply an adjunct to the main energy and self-sufficiency component but a substantial element covering both primary production and supporting technologies.
The 2026 programme included a dedicated agricultural sub-expo for 130 exhibitors, as well as a livestock breed exhibition featuring 40 exhibitors showcasing various breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.
High-speed entertainment and new attractions
KragDag deliberately combines agriculture and self-sufficiency with a strong rural lifestyle and entertainment component.
One of the more spectacular attractions was the Roughstock Rodeo Club horsemanship demonstration, which included races between horses and off-road motorcycles, pole bending, mounted archery and shooting, tent pegging, and roping.
New to the event this year was a 4×4 adventure track, where visitors could experience new vehicles, as well as a tourism and adventure area.
The expo also had a strong food production component. In partnership with Chris Forrest, well-known comedian and winner of the first season of Celebrity MasterChef South Africa, and Dr Oswald Jannasch, president of the Nguni Cattle Breeders’ Society, Farmer’s Weekly presented a cook-along featuring Nguni beef.
This farm-to-table experience aimed to connect visitors with food, farming, and producers, giving them a better understanding of where their food comes from and the role farmers play in producing it.
KragDag also offered a strong rural lifestyle experience, with agricultural products, beekeeping, food processing, gardening, hydroponics, and other production-related technologies represented among the exhibitors.
