Photo: Jedrie Harmse
On 17 October, day two of this year’s Nampo Alfa, the event was in full swing, with sheep shearing, wool handling, and large cattle selection competitions drawing enthusiastic crowds.
Nampo Alfa is the only agricultural expo in South Africa to host three national championships under one roof: the Old Mutual National Interbreed Beef Cattle Championships, the National Lamb Champs, and the Laeveld Agrochem Farm Skills National Championships. The winners of all three were announced at a gala dinner on Friday evening.
South Africans’ passion for the outdoors was on full display, with many camping and outdoor lifestyle exhibits. Hunting and shooting enthusiasts were equally well catered for, with an impressive selection of firearms and accessories on show.
On the technology front, the AgTech@NWK exhibition showcased agricultural drones and support systems. The highlight was the DJI Agras T100, a powerful drone designed for large-scale commercial crop spraying, capable of covering up to 25ha per hour.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Gideon van Deventer, agricultural drone specialist at AgTech@NWK, said drone use in South African agriculture was expanding rapidly.
“Over the past 10 months, around 950 000ha have been sprayed using drones, compared with 660 000ha [for the whole of] 2024,” he said.
According to Van Deventer, this growth reflected farmers’ increasing confidence in drone technology.
“Producers are switching from traditional spraying equipment to drones because they’re more affordable, accurate, and easy to use,” he explained.
AgTech@NWK currently operates drone service centres in Bothaville, as well as Lichtenburg and Brits in North West. The Lichtenburg facility is undergoing a major expansion, and once completed, will be the largest drone service centre in the country.
A custom-built drone trailer manufactured by Nick Trailers in Coligny, North West, also drew attention. The trailer carries all necessary support equipment, including water and spray tanks, and a generator for efficient in-field drone operations.
“A drone needs a lot of supporting gear, and this set-up keeps everything organised and mobile,” Van Deventer added.
The youth were also in the spotlight at the expo. Danique du Plooy, from Salomon Senekal High School in Viljoenskroon, Free State, won the Junior Beef Cattle Youth Show.
“I’ve been working with cattle basically since I was born,” she laughed.
After three years of competing, this was her first major win. Du Plooy is considering a future in animal or veterinary science.
