In only four years, the annual African Farmers Workshop and Expo (AFWE) has grown from a local farming sector exhibition in Gauteng to a highly successful quartet of three-day shows additionally hosted in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the North West Province. The next Johannesburg event takes place from 12 to 14 August at the Johannesburg Expo Centre (Nasrec) and is expected to be the biggest and most exciting yet!
"The show aims to empower emerging and subsistence farmers across South Africa, and boost the national farming sector generally," explains Mahlatse Masimini, CEO of Moshate Media, organisers of the event. "There has been increasing interest in the African Farmer's Workshop and Expo since the inaugural show, and that prompted our decision to expand the event into the other provinces; the ultimate aim is to stage the expo in all provinces of South Africa, culminating in a flagship Johannesburg expo.
Part of the enormous popularity and success of AFWE is its focus on key elements of the farming business such as a breeder's expo, the Agri Youth Indaba and the Agri Bizniz Summit. Other components include an indoor expo, outdoor expo, and the highly popular free daily workshops.
"Exhibitors from the broad farming trade understand the importance of educating their markets about the complexities of running a small agricultural or livestock enterprise," says Masimini. "The shows provide an invaluable opportunity for them to connect with farmers and engage with other knowledge leaders in the industry."
"The show aims to promote and empower farmers in South Africa and across the SADC region, especially small and emerging enterprises, and to assist them in accessing much-needed finance and resources," continues Masimini. "It's also a platform to facilitate training and skills development for farmers, encourage better production practices and the use of agricultural resources, share information on how to expand and sustain farms, and instil the spirit of entrepreneurship."
What's New
Participants at this year's show can expect some exciting new features, aimed at increasing value for sponsors and exhibitors. Visitor badges will be colour coded according to sectors, for example fresh produce, dairy, livestock, etc. "This will enable exhibitors to identify show visitors from specific sectors, saving time and enabling them to get maximum exposure to their specific target markets at the show," explains Masimini. "We will also invite procurement managers and business development managers to this year's event, as business-to-business interaction is a vital component of the show."
Events at the Show
The popular two-day AgriBizNiz Summit will be back this year, the theme for Day 1 covering "Sustainable Food Production to address Food Security in Africa". The theme for Day 2 is "Promoting Trade and Investment Appeal to drive Agribusiness Growth". The Summit brings key stakeholders in the agricultural sector together to discuss pressing issues facing the industry.
The popular Agri Youth Indaba follows objectives of the National Youth Development Agency to provide a platform for young aspiring farmers to discover insights into farming and agriculture as a potential career after finishing school. The Indaba also enables young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector to be more informed and to share their success stories.
The four African Farmers Workshop and Expo events are sponsored by Ithala, Omnia, Masisizane Fund, Mintek, Standard Bank, University of Limpopo, and Zoetis.
Importance of Agriculture
"South Africa has the potential to be the food basket of Africa," concludes Masimini. "Agriculture is the foundation of developing economies and the African Farmers Workshop and Expo has a vital and strategic role to play. The show is all about development - of agriculture, youth, the economy and entrepreneurship."
-Ends-
For more information:
African Farmers Workshop and Expo 2014, 12 to 14 August 2014 and AgriBizNiz Summit, 11 - 12 August 2014. Sarah Howarth, Moshate Media. Tel: 011 514 0200. E-mail: sarah@moshatemedia.co.za
Website: www.africanfarmers.co.za/
Agri Youth Indaba, 12 August 2014. Mahlatse Masimini - Moshate Media. Tel: 011 514 0200. E-mail: mahlatse@moshatemedia.co.za. Website: http://www.moshatemedia.co.za
© Press Release 2014
