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The 4th presentation of NAMPO Cape, and the biggest yet, concluded this past weekend. Grain SA together with Bredasdorp Park NPC are grateful for the record 34,635 visitors who visited NAMPO Cape over the four days, from 13-16 September, where 520 companies exhibited on 650 stands.
Despite the bad weather conditions, NAMPO Cape was in every way an incredible success, according to Henk Aggenbach, chairman of NAMPO Cape. "The weather this year had an interesting effect on the nature of movement on the park where visitors moved more slowly through the stands and engaged in much longer conversations and conducted more business" Aggenbach said.
This year's NAMPO Cape focused on the Green Energy Revolution and a variety of the latest technology in the green energy sector was showcased. Visitors could easily weigh up the several available options between various exhibitors from the alternative energy industry.
On top of the new museum tent and exceptional floral splendour of Marjolijn Malan's flower arrangements, the unique South African Lippizaners came to brag at NAMPO Cape for the first time, which was the highlight of the expo. The Lippizaners provided a spectacular show and the rings and seats were full regardless of the winds and rain.
"Apart from the visitors, the positive feedback from the exhibitors in terms of successful business transactions is still one of the most important and accurate measures of success, and exhibitors even had to replenish stock on Friday, a feather in the cap for this highlight on the Cape agricultural calendar," according to Toit Wessels of Grain SA.
The well-known Boereplanne-competition provided entries of incredibly high quality and the judges were impressed with the sheer volume of practical entries, which included, among other things, money saving plans, livestock handling and various entries from learners from the agricultural schools.
The Nation in Conversation program provided exciting and informative discussions with themes that included trade relations and the economic influence of the Russian war in South Africa, the growth of the canola industry in the Cape; the Cape's progress with power generation and challenges of the value chain in the sheep industry in the Cape Province.
"Short-term future plans for the expo are not necessarily to enlarge but rather to let the current infrastructure catch up with what is happening on the park, and although there is a great need from exhibitors for larger stands, NAMPO Cape currently serves the grain -, vineyard and citrus industries well by covering all implements and services needed on these farms", Aggenbach said.
"Feedback from exhibitors has been positive throughout with good sales and networking opportunities, and the many new additions in 2023 have offered visitors a greater viewing variety", Dr Dirk Strydom, head of NAMPO, Marketing and Research Coordination at Grain SA said. "NAMPO Cape offers Grain SA the opportunity to have positive and valuable discussions with its producing members and agricultural role players."
NAMPO Cape 2024 is already in planning for 11-14 September 2024 at Bredasdorp Park. This will also be a major milestone celebrating it’s five-year anniversary of the expo on Bredasdorp Park.
Applications for exhibitors who want to be part of NAMPO Cape 2024, open 1 February 20234. Application forms and further information are available at www.nampocape.co.za.
Ends