An expo for Africa

Exhibition Management Services (EMS) director John Thomson says the Africa Big Seven (AB7) show attracts exhibitors and visitors from around the world. “The expo is a continental clearing house where fresh and processed foods are displayed for export, specialty foods and beverages are marketed to Africa's importers, wholesalers and retailers and manufacturing, processing and packaging technology are showcased. The last expo held in July 2006 attracted over 7000 qualified trade visitors from 31 countries, with a substantial number coming from various agribusiness and food processing concerns in other African countries, all keen to do business with South Africa.”

Described as “the Food, Retail and FMCG Showcase for the Continent”, in 2006, 93% of visitors interviewed at the show said their visit to the expo was made more than worthwhile by finding something new at this “Seven-in-One” African showcase – 92% said they would come back in 2007.

Of the visitor demographics: 51% were business owners, MDs or directors of companies; and 47% of visitors could authorise a purchase. Special interests claimed by visitors: Kosher 37.5%; Halaal 31%; Vegetarian 18%. The following business categories in the visitor analysis were recorded:

Manufacturer 33%

Wholesaler 13.8%
Distributor/agent 10%
Retail independent 12%
Retail chain 10.7%
Retail convenience 7%
Importer 10.7%

Not specified 2.5%

A taste from Zambia

Here's a small taster from the “What's New – International Exhibitor” section… Zambia is fast emerging as a source of raw material and processed goods for agribusiness and food industry throughout the southern Africa region and the Zambian exhibitors will show case a range of products, including:

• Canned goods: 15 varieties of canned vegetables and fruits produced in a newly refurbished factory in Lusaka. This product range is already in all major stores in Zambia and over 200 000 cans monthly are exported into neighbouring countries. The range includes a mixed bean product that is not at all wide spread in the region

• Fish: including a new tinned mackerel unique to Zambia, dried and fresh kapenta, dried and fresh tilapia bream, filleted tilapia breams and fresh buka buka (a mackerel unique to Zambia).

• Fresh baby vegetable, vegetables and fruit: organic and EurepGap certified small and large growers offer a variety of fresh produce including bananas, fine beans, baby corn, mange tout and numerous others.

• Honey, beeswax and propolis (organic, bulk and retail packaged). Zambia currently exports over 700 metric tonnes of organically certified honey into the European Union. Beeswax candles and propolis are also available for export. A new gift pack product is soon to be available on the regional market.

• Groundnuts: Zambia produces 80 000 metric tonnes of groundnuts annually. A soon to be installed grading and sorting facility will allow the export of a quality product according to market specifications.

• Commodities: aromatic rice, chalimbana groundnuts, wide range of edible dry beans, soy beans, sorghum and millet.

• Natural beauty products: a body gel and hair food made from the fruit of a tree unique to the banks of the Zambezi River (manketi nuts).

• Coffee: Roasted or green Zambian arabica coffee is quickly gaining an international reputation, particularly in the US and Japan. Zambian coffee is now being marketed as an exclusive Starbucks “Black Apron” coffee in America.

• Paprika and oleoresin: Oleoresin is exported from Zambia for use as a natural food or textile colourant. Ground paprika and paprika pod and seed are available in increasing quantities from Zambia as well.

• Timber and timber products: Zambia is a producer of both soft and hard wood. The main regional markets are Botswana and South Africa. A number of finished products are produced such as Kiln Dry hardwood, Decking, T& G flooring and skirting, All kinds of furniture, Block board and plywood, Hardwood doors, flush doors and carving doors, Railway and mining sleepers, Cross arms for electricity power line. Windows and “bio-coal” are also available.

• Flowers galore: There are over 60 types of roses and these include tropical amazon, golden gate, red calypso, first red, poeme, noblesse, prophyta and tyneke. Other varieties are baroness, suplesse, golden times, grandgalla, sapphire and akito. The main varieties of summer flowers exported from Zambia are Hypericums, Solidago, Rudbekia, Liatris. Currently total farm area for fresh flowers amounts to about 170 hectares. Cut flowers comprise mainly roses. The main export market for Zambian flowers is the auctions in the Netherlands and also the UK.

Pre-register now to attend – go to www.exhibitionsafrica.com.