Photo: Glenneis Kriel
Following a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nampo Cape, which started on Wednesday (14 September) is currently underway in Bredasdorp, and will run until Saturday, 17 September.
Toit Wessels, Grain SA’s assistant manager for marketing and Nampo, said the approximately 500 exhibitors displaying their products and services indoors and outdoors were the largest number ever in the history of the event.
“We are at full capacity, and had to work 24/7 to find ways to accommodate everyone,” Wessels told Farmer’s Weekly.
So far it also looked as if the event was attracting a record number of visitors.
“Nampo Cape was launched in 2018, and attracted [a total of about] 22 000 people during the second show in 2019.”
This year, a total of 6 540 visitors was recorded on Wednesday and a further 9 635 on Thursday, which were significantly more than the visitor numbers seen on the first two days of previous events, he said.
Following requests from the public, Nampo Cape was also extended until Saturday.
“We see the extension as a trial to determine whether it is worth it for our exhibitors.”
However, Nampo Cape also had its share of challenges this year, the biggest being Eskom’s announcement of Stage 4 rolling blackouts on the weekend before the event kicked off, he added.
“One of the exhibitors fortunately accommodated us with a generator. Using a generator, however, is still a huge expense as it uses roughly 100l of diesel per hour.”
Wessels also expressed disappointment about the fact that no cattle could be accommodated at the exhibition this year due to the ongoing cases of foot-and-mouth disease being reported around the country, but added that “it was the right thing to do for biosecurity reasons”.
Jannie Strydom, CEO of Agri Western Cape, said Nampo Cape provided the organisation with “a wonderful platform to communicate with its members”.
“It is always good to be able to shake hands with people and speak to them in person, especially people you regularly deal with telephonically or on other electronic media platforms.
“[It also] gives members an opportunity to tell us where we can improve and what we should be focussing on.”
He added that Nampo Cape gave farmers an opportunity to exchange ideas, build new contacts, familiarise themselves with the latest technologies available on the market, and to socialise, which was much needed following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.
“It is great to get together, see and interact with so many people with passion and love for the agriculture sector.
“We want to thank Grain SA for the exceptional planning and management of the event, and believe that Nampo Cape will continue to grow from strength to strength in the future.”
