01 Sep 2019

The 14^th edition of the Botswana Consumer Fair has been deemed to be a success with the number of exhibitors and the quality of their displays both depicting growth from previous years.

“This year the Consumer Fair opened its doors to more than 500 exhibitors representing 29 sub-sector categories of our economy.  These exhibitors are representatives of different countries, that is Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, eSwatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, India, Pakistan, China and Japan,” said Barclays Bank of Botswana (BoB) Managing Director, Ms Keabetswe Pheko-Moshagane when giving a keynote address during the fair prize giving ceremony at the Botswana Exhibition and Conference Centre in Gaborone.

Ms Pheko-Moshagane said manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and traders at the level of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) as well as larger scale companies were afforded the chance by the Consumer Fair to network among themselves and with consumers.

“The Consumer Fair offers the opportunity for networking, entertainment as well as family outings all under one roof. The exchanges made at the fair filter into our economy as they encourage the growth of the participating business and continue after the fair.

One cannot ignore the indirect economic benefit to sectors such as our tourism, service and manufacturing sectors derived from the fair,” Ms Pheko-Moshagane opined.

She said sustained development underpinned by economic diversification was highlighted in the National Vision 2036 and National Development Plan (NDP) 11, and to this end, she encouraged domestic businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade area agreement, which will ensure a market of 1.2 billion people.

Adding her worth, the CEO of Fairground Holdings, Ms Gorata Gabaraane said her organisation worked closely with different stakeholders to ensure that the quality of the fair continued to improve.

“As an organisation we are committed to executing a high level of standards for the Consumer Fair, that is why as part of the preparation for the fair we worked with an extended network of stakeholders including the organising committee, judges, partners, suppliers and sponsors.  All these stakeholders in their own right also subscribe to high levels of standards,” Ms Gabaraane revealed.

Also, she said her organisation had taken time to engage exhibitors in order to offer advice and to liaise with them in order to ensure that all were on board in delivering a smooth fair. She also said it was their wish that the various traders flourish in their business beyond the seven days of the fair.

Ms Gabaarane said they considered the prize giving event to be the highlight of the Consumer Fair, as it helped to recognize the hard work that was put into preparing for the fair.

“We are therefore gathered to recognise and applaud achievers.  It is usually very difficult to determine who has performed the best among the many exhibitors who always exceed expectations.  But someone always has to emerge the best,” she said.

The winners on the night included; Office of the President (Best Government Department), Diamond Pavillion (Mining Products category), DC Tours (Travel and Tourism Operators), Senn Foods, (Local Manufacturers- Processing) and Profiles Botswana in the Services cqategory, among many others. ENDS