Africa’s Big Seven International fair held in Johannesburg South Africa in July 15-17, 2012

Dr. P. Nagaraj

Scientist ‘B’Chemistry

Quality Evaluation Lab Chennai.

Overview

The only trade event of its kind on the continent, Africa’s Big Seven is an

interrelated composite of food and beverage events encompassing raw materials,

processes and manufacturing technologies, packaging, food services equipment and

retail ready products for a market of 800 million consumers. There is little argument

that Africa’s economic prospects are the best they have ever been with growth

forecasts outstripping most of the Western World. The continent’s rapidly expanding

middle class, their changing lifestyles and growing disposable income all add up to

enormous business opportunities for suppliers throughout the food and beverage

industry supply chain. “The simple fact is that Africa wants to do business” said

Teigue Payne, publisher of leading industry journal Food & Beverage Reporter.

“Africa’s Big Seven plays a hugely successful role in bridging the gap between

buyers and sellers; people who in many instances would have no other way of

knowing of each other’s existence”.

Event Profile

Africa’s Big Seven is one of the largest events dedicated to the food and

beverage industry in Africa. Combining seven co located events, this event seeks to

cover the entire production cycle of farm based goods, ending with the marketing and

supply of products to retail chains. With the rise in the purchasing capabilities of the

African middle class, trade shows like these have become all the more relevant as

they provide agricultural, processing and packaging equipments suppliers with the

perfect platform to showcase their goods and network with others from the industry.

Africa’s Big Seven includes the Pan Africa Retail Trade Exhibition Food, Beverage

and Merchandise, AgriFood, FoodTech Africa and DrinkTech Africa, Interbake

Africa, IFMA Africa, Retail Solutions Africa and FoodBiz Africa. More than 300

companies from various African, Asian and South American nations participates

displaying over 3000 products across 431 categories.

Exhibitor Profile

Africa’s Big Seven brings together exhibitors of products like dry goods,

groceries, frozen foods, convenience foods, fresh produce, flavourings, additives,

beverages, premixes, ready mixes, shelf ready products, production, processing and

packaging equipments, beverage processing technology, shop fittings, refrigeration,

store layout, display equipments, lighting, point of sale systems, catering equipments,

food preparation and preservation equipments, warming and heating equipments and

back office software. 307 companies from countries like China, Egypt, Brazil,

Germany, Ghana, Ecuador, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mozambique, Netherlands,

Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri

Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam,

Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Korea, Malaysia and Mauritius participated in this

edition displaying 3000 products from 431 categories.

Visitor Profile

Visitors in Africa Big Seven includes Owners, MD's, directors or buyers

from manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors/agents, retail independents, retail

chains, retail conveniences, importers, promoters etc.

Retail Trade Benefits

A further benefit of this event is that it is co-located with the Southern

African Trade Exhibition (SAITEX) an exhibition dedicated to non-food & beverage

retail products. The combined offering of 800 exhibitors from 32 countries is an

irresistible attraction for Africa’s importers, distributors, agents, wholesalers and

retailers. Trade visitors come from an average of 48 countries.

Overview about the international fair Africa’s Big Seven held during July 15-17,

2012 Midrand, Johannesburg South Africa

* Both of us my self Dr. P. Nagaraj, Scientist ‘B’, QEL Chennai and Mr. D. J.

Barman, SFO Agarthala have reached Johannesburg (SA) on 14th

July 2012 morning

8.00 am and exchanged dollar to South African local currency rand.

* Reached protea hotel Midrand at 9.30am (40 km away from Johannesburg airport)

where our accommodation was already arranged from our office. After refreshment

reached Gallagher conventional centre (15 km away from protea hotel) where the

international fair programme going to be held.

* Reached our stall in Hall number 3 where all the Indian organization put together

(also some of the Indian organization allotted in Hall number 5) with our luggage and

decorated our stall with all our Spices and Spice products along with banners, kept

ready our stall for people visit.

* Went for market study after lunch, visited Santon and Mandela square where we

found a super marker as well as shopping malls. Interacted with few shopkeepers got

the details about the consumption and rate of spices and spice products

* Sunday First day of International fair (more number of exporters and importers;

more crowd - more interaction takes place)

* Monday Second day of international fair (relatively less crowd but more interaction

takes place between exporters and importers)

* Tuesday Third day of international fair morning all Indians together had break fast

with Indian high commission people as a buyer seller interaction. After the

programme went to our stall (very less crowd and less interaction between the

exporters and importers- people interest was to take the sample

* Wednesday Fourth day went for market study visited two more super market and

shopping mall in Johannesburg city and collected few samples for laboratory analysis

and noted the rate of spices and spice products with help of shopkeepers.

* Thursday Fifth day settled all the bills in the hotels went to airport at 11.00 am

caught the flight South African airlines and reached Mumbai at 1.00 am.

* Friday Sixth day early morning 1.00am reached Mumbai and 5.30 am have a flight

to Cochin reached Spices Board Office at 10.00am. Settled all the bills, dollars and

banners etc. to Mr. Naresh. Met chairman at 12.00 noon given small brief about the

trip and reached Cochin airport 2.00 pm and reached Chennai at 5.00 pm.

14/07/2012 Saturday Day 1: Reached Hotel and Reached Gallagher Trade

centre, Arranged our Stall

Protea hotel Midrand where we reached

the hotel on 14th

July 2012 (45 km away

from Johannesburg international airport).

Gallagher Conventional centre Midrand

Johannesburg (SA) where the

international fair was held during July

15-17, 2012. Reached Gallagher

conventional centre on 14th

July 2012

(15 km away from Protea hotel

Midrand).

Hall No.3 Arrangements of our stall: collected tables and chairs from the organizers

arranged nicely. Banners, spices and spice products all the display items where kept

nicely. The next day international fair starts at 9.00 am

15/07/2012 Sunday Day 2: Sunday First day of International fair (more number

of exporters and importers; more crowd - more interaction).

The international programme started at 9.0 am. We have reached at 8.30 am

and kept our stall ready for the people visit. Mr. Nanden S. Bhaisora, Acting Consul

General of India, Johannesburg, Inaugurated the fair. Mr. B K Khanna, Manager

ITPO New Delhi invited Indian High commission people:

All the members of Indian high commission people visited our stall and interacted

with us. They are very happy with Spices Board stall arrangements especially our

packing materials and way of packing so attractive and quality of spices.

Importer from South Africa visited our stall and asking about the rate of spices,

quantity spices, quality of spices and exporters details etc. SA importers interest is

spice mix and curry paste as well as mixture of spices. Arab country importers

interacting with us they were asking the particular product especially pepper, ginger

and turmeric etc. the rate and bulk quantity of products exporter etc.

16/07/2012 Monday Day 3: Monday Second day of international fair: Relatively

less than day 1 crowd but more interaction between exporters and importers.

The second day of the fair Monday is a working day in South Africa, there are less

number of people compare to the previous day. People/ importer came with normal

queries as well as product specific queries

There is interaction between importers from Oman as well as Ethiopia countries. They

are interested mixtures of spices and spice products. They also interested to purchase

as a whole product in bulk quantities and want to distribute to entire countries with

their own name. They also interested to visit India especially major spice growing

areas.

17/07/2012 Tuesday Day 4: Tuesday Third day of international fair:

Very less crowd and less interaction between the exporters and importers,

people are more interested to collect the sample

Buyer seller Breakfast meets, Estate ball room, Gallagher. All participated Indian

companies invited for high Breakfast

Welcome address by Mr. Nanden S. Bhaisora (Acting Consul General of India).

Introduction to participating Indian companies by Mr. B K Khanna, Manager ITPO,

New Delhi

Interaction with South African importer along with our exporter Jeerawala (Gujarat).

18/07/2012 Wednesday Day 5: Wednesday Fourth day went for market study

visited two more super market and shopping mall in Johannesburg city

Indian Origin who settled in SA for more than 100 years. Doing agriculture especially

cultivating different types of chilli products: Different types of chilli products shown

above picture.

One of the major chilli based pickle

producer and supplier in South Africa:

Spice and spice product dealers in Africa

Robertson one of the well known famous spice dealer and distributor in south Africa

most of the products come out of the market in the his name only. Mixture of spices

and spice products whole sale market. Most of them are using Spice mix to increase

the taste of meat, pork etc.