Final report IFAT Africa 2019
Approaching Southern Africa’s environmental challenges with enthusiasm
- More exhibitors, more visitors
- Co-Location with other trade fairs worthwhile
- Reputation as sub-Saharan Africa’s industry hub strengthened
IFAT Africa 2019 welcomed 172 exhibitors from the environmental industry which presented their solutions at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. This means a growth of 13 percent compared to the previous event in 2017. Whereas there was still an equal share of local and foreign companies, the international participation continued to diversify: companies from 19 nations came to South Africa for this big event. Back in 2017, the international participation included 16 countries.
3,302 visitors – an increase of 83 percent
There was a 83 percent increase in visitor numbers from 2017. 3,302 visitors attended IFAT Africa 2019. The exhibition was not only supported by the South African market, but also attracted visitors from Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’ Ivoire, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Co-located with analytica Lab Africa and food & drink technology Africa
Together, the events occupied 17,000 square meters spread over four halls and an outdoor exhibition area in the Gallagher Convention Centre. In total, 385 exhibitors presented their solutions and products to 8,324 visitors. In addition to the 172 exhibitors at IFAT Africa, there were 148 exhibitors at analytica Lab Africa and 65 exhibitors at food & drink technology Africa. The successful concept will be continued in 2021, from July 13 to 15, again at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Much interest in the supporting programme
In line with the tradition of the eight IFAT trade fairs held all over the world, a comprehensive supporting programme ensured lively debate and knowledge sharing. Participants showed great interest in discussing the urgent environmental challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, how to manage the immense volumes of electronic scrap and how to deal with the complex challenges of water supply and sewage disposal. Besides solutions in the fields of technology and funding, the supporting programme also focused on the topics of education, advanced training and recruiting.
What our exhibitors had to say
“We received an exceptionally high calibre of visitors, including visitors from the co-located shows. We felt that collocating all three events was a fantastic idea because for us personally, our business works hand in hand with many of the industries in the complimentary sectors. We managed to gain valuable interest and leads from across sectors.” Annejan Visser, Process Engineer at QFS
“We received numerous great quality responses, as well as roughly thirteen new visitors, who weren't previously on our books. Networking has resulted in the establishment of new contacts. The co-location was a plus for us, as it resulted in us having made a few new connections, specifically in the food processing industry, which we wouldn't have been able to do without the other two shows happening simultaneously.” Hennie Pretorius, Industry Manager, Endress + Hauser
“Good quality inquiries and leads were received. The networking opportunities to engage with international giants was extremely valuable to us. We also experienced a vast increase in the numbers of visitors who attended the event this year. Overall, we felt that this year was better than the last.” Bernice Smit, Business Development Director, Vovani
“Overall, this year’s show was much bigger and much better than it has been in the past. We found all our potential customers were accessible at this show, both in the other exhibitors and in the visitors who attended. The co-location was beneficial in that it increased foot traffic in general as well as bringing together a great cross section of guests across sectors.” Nicole Meyer Marketing, Kaeser Compressors
