Matabeleland North Agricultural Show set for October
PREPARATIONS for the Matabeleland North Agricultural Show have started with organisers today hosting a stakeholders’ meeting.
The annual exhibition will be held at the Hwange Show Grounds in Number 2 from 4 to 7 October 2023.
The theme for this year’s edition is: “Leveraging on our natural resources towards Vision 2030.”
The Matabeleland North Agricultural Show is one of the leading country’s annual provincial premium exhibitions and is hosted by the Whange Show Society.
In a statement, the Whange Show Society said this year’s event is expected to be bigger than previous events as there will be an exhibitors’ conference on the second day.
“Preparations have already started with the show expected to be bigger and better this year than last year where about 8 000 people attended during the course of the exhibition and close to 100 exhibitors showcased,” said the organisers.
The previous year in 2021 there were about 4 000 people making a 100 percent increase in turnout last year.
The organisers said there is significant interest from new exhibitors to the annual expo, which is a perfect platform for businesses to interact in Matabeleland North.
The exhibition started in 1950, then known as Wankie Show Society before rebranding into a provincial show in 2019, taking the name Matabeleland North Agricultural Show, and is affiliated to the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show Society.
“In its over 70 years, the show has grown bigger and better and we pride ourselves on being the platform for the best knowledge and innovation-sharing experiences. We bring together diverse audiences and businesses giving a ready potential market for any product and service in the country and beyond.
“This is the platform for farmers, companies, Government agencies and departments, non-governmental organisations, individual businesses, learning institutions, and local authorities to converge and showcase their products and services,” said the organisers.
Over the years the tourism industry has been absent at the show despite the province being the country’s tourism capital.
The show society, therefore, continues to reach out to the tourism industry to consider Matabeleland North Agricultural Show as a platform for engagement, planning, and meeting new and old clients and policymakers.
Matabeleland North is arguably one of the richest provinces in the country with vast tapped and untapped natural and human resources that are ready to explode with opportunities.
The economy of the province ranges from small- and large-scale agriculture, mining, wildlife that comprise the Big Five, tourism, and hospitality and this makes the show a melting pot for business, cross-pollination of ideas and opportunities, and the place to be if you want to interact with fellow businesses and potential.
The expo complements the Government devolution and decentralisation agenda in the Second Republic mantra of leaving no one and no place behind, and also promotes the Matabeleland North Provincial Development Policy Strategy which feeds into the National Agenda.-chronicle
