As the world progresses into the digital era, the agricultural sector in South Africa stands at the brink of a transformative journey. With technology rapidly integrating into every facet of our lives, the relevance of agriculture in a digital age cannot be overstated.

And NAMPO 2024, the 56th presentation of the Harvest Day from 14 – 17 May 2024 is geared to showcase the newest trends and developments on offer! The NAMPO Harvest Day has, since its inception, taken the lead to display agricultural innovation on a one stop platform in South Africa.

The theme “Agriculture in a Digital Age” echo South African producers who are increasingly recognising the significance of connectivity in driving efficiency, sustainability, and prosperity in farming practices. Harnessing the power of digital tools and platforms, farmers are unlocking unprecedented opportunities to enhance productivity, optimise resource utilisation, and improve livelihoods.

In a landscape where connectivity is becoming an ever-present reality, South African farmers are leveraging digital solutions to overcome traditional challenges and drive their operations forward. From remote rural communities to the traditional farming districts, the adoption of digital technologies is revolutionising agricultural practices, making them more resilient and adaptive to the evolving demands of the market and the environment.

“NAMPO plays an important role in connecting the agricultural sector by offering producers a one-stop environment to interact and do business with small and large businesses and relevant role players. The South African agricultural community realise that staying connected is not just a luxury, but necessity for growth in today’s competitive Agri-landscape. NAMPO is the trade show that offer producers a platform to access information and interact with services and products on offer related to production, machinery, food-processing, inputs, precision agriculture and financial solutions.” Dr Dirk Strydom, Grain SA’s Head of NAMPO, Marketing & Research Development said.

What’s New

NAMPO has installed three 500kVA generators, which adding to the existing 300kVA capacity, will supply enough electricity to comply with the demand during the NAMPO Harvest Day. Many exhibitors are upgrading and expanding their exhibition offerings and the newly added Midas Hall on the south-eastern side of the park added an additional 60 indoor exhibitors.

NAMPO’s food offering has increased, and visitors can look forward to a brand-new food experience offered by the Syngenta Boerekos Plaaskombuis. The food court will be offering mouth-watering dishes ranging from an extra-large Prego steak rolls to delicious Nachos, sweet and sour Lamb riblets, deliciously soft Butter Chicken sosaties and grilled beef brisket flatbreads. The regular NAMPO food stalls have even more to offer and benefit school, churches, and non-profit community organisations. The exclusive restaurant, which opened in 2023 to offer exhibitors the opportunity to reserve tables for client discussions, will be operational again in the Fanie Ferreira Hall.

The kykNET Women’s Programme moves back to its original spot by the tea garden and promises fun-packed mornings filled with local television celebrities and couch talks with your kykNet favourites. Visitors can expect a whole new sensory experience leading to the Women’s programme through the Starke Ayres herb garden and the newly established children’s play park will provide a safe space for clamber fun and play under supervision.

The NAMPO App now offer visitors better access to exhibitors and their locations with the park layout at their fingertips. Through the NAMPO App, visitors can bookmark events, browse, and bookmark exhibitions to visit, take 3D-virutal tours of the park and find their way to any stand through the navigation function.

The 2024 Farmer’s Plan’s Competition with Omnia & Landbouweekblad introduced a new category in the school’s section for any learners or students enrolled in an educational institution. This exhibition not to be missed boasts inventions in five other categories, including new; modified; tools; house and garden and an open category.

Old Favourites

Traditional NAMPO favourites still fill up the days, including the popular 4×4 vehicle demonstrations on the Standard Bank 4×4-track and the African Group Lubricants Adventure Track for side-by-side, motorcycle, and quad trails. The seed plots on the eastern side of the park, offer a view of grain and feed crops and grass varieties of SA’s leading seed companies.

The Nation in Conversation popular discussion forum bring together role players in the agricultural sector to reflect on locally and international topics and is filmed during NAMPO, with the discussions live-streamed on various platforms.

The livestock division, include cattle, sheep, pig, and goats, represent almost 100% of the large- and small-stock breeds with a daily pedigree livestock parade programme scheduled in the TAU Animal Feeds Livestock Arena where biosecurity and protocols will be applied.

Getting around

Navigating the expansive grounds of NAMPO Park is made easier through various transportation options. OFM, NAMPO’s official media partner, will broadcast live from NAMPO Park, featuring a dedicated Agri hour and providing traffic updates throughout the day to ensure safe travel for listeners. The “Mieliehop” shuttle service operates daily between NAMPO Park and Bothaville, offering long-distance shuttles from OR Tambo airport and surrounding towns. Absolute Aviation’s airport lounge welcomes air travellers to the northern side of the park, with a shuttle service available to Gate 3. Additionally, visitors can hop on one of the nine tractor trailers traversing different routes across the grounds, to help visitors move between different exhibitions and providing relief for tired feet through designated shuttle stops and schedules.

Get your tickets Online!

Tickets are available from TicketPro (www.ticketpros.co.za) from the beginning of April 2024 with discounted entry fees when purchasing online. Gates open at 07:00 and close at 17:00. Route directions as well as details on the private air strip are available from the website and the NAMPO App. No pets, bicycles, self-propelled carts, or motorcycles will be permitted on the premises. Visitors can use the transport carts moving along three different routes on the grounds throughout the day at no charge.

“NAMPO Harvest Day is still a not-to-be-missed highlight on the South African agricultural calendar. This unique platform facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking among farmers, researchers, and agricultural experts. South African producers can exchange ideas, learn from each other’s experiences, strengthen friendships, and collectively address common challenges, all in one place”, Strydom concluded.

NAMPO 2024 icons and artwork will be available for download soon on the website.

For more information, visit www.nampo.co.za or download the NAMPO App from your preferred online store.