The 58th NAMPO Harvest Day, proudly presented by Grain SA from 12 – 15 May 2026 at NAMPO Park, concluded on a high note last week, once again reaffirming its position as the largest open air agricultural trade exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the most important agricultural gathering points in the world.
Under the 2026 theme, “Resilience through Innovation”, NAMPO welcomed 81 822 visitors over four days, with Wednesday recording the highest single-day attendance of 24 579 visitors. More than 910 exhibitors showcased the latest agricultural machinery, technology, inputs, services and innovations to producers and stakeholders from across the agricultural value chain.
The skies above NAMPO remained as active as the grounds below, with 311 aircraft, 100 helicopters and a total of 657 air traffic movements recorded during the week – further reflecting NAMPO’s national and international reach and relevance.
Weather Challenges and Traffic Pressure Managed
Despite heavy rainfall in the lead-up to the show, which placed major pressure on the park and surrounding road infrastructure, the event was successfully presented through extensive preparation and coordinated operational planning.
“The lead-up to NAMPO this year was exceptional. A week before the show, sections of the terrain were still heavily waterlogged following significant rainfall, yet the team worked around the clock to ensure the park was ready for exhibitors and visitors,” said Dr Dirk Strydom.
Strydom added that the wet conditions also placed additional pressure on traffic movement as more than 30km of gravel access routes could not be utilised, including an additional access point to the northern parking area, forcing all traffic through the R30 corridor. The NAMPO team is already exploring new possibilities to improve access to the park and to discuss potential solutions with SANRAL, the owner of the R30.
This pressure was further amplified on Wednesday by the Toyota South Africa Motors Toyota Hilux Guinness World Record attempt hosted at NAMPO Park, which brought a total of 1 545 Hilux bakkies to the area and temporarily affected traffic flow around the event.
“While the traffic congestion created understandable frustration for some visitors, we sincerely appreciate the patience and support shown by the public. Our teams worked closely with traffic authorities to stabilise the situation as quickly as possible. We are also proud that NAMPO could host such a unique world-record attempt alongside the Harvest Day,” Strydom said.
Agriculture’s Resilience on Display
According to Danie Minnaar, this year’s NAMPO once again demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of South African agriculture under difficult economic and climatic conditions.
“Producers are operating in an environment of rising input costs, infrastructure challenges, global uncertainty and pressure on profitability. What stood out this year was how the industry continues to adapt, innovate and find practical solutions,” said Minnaar.
“Across the park you could see exhibitors focusing on technologies, equipment, precision systems and production methods aimed at helping farmers improve efficiency and remain sustainable in difficult conditions. That spirit of resilience was visible throughout NAMPO.”
Minnaar also thanked the NAMPO Harvest Day Committee, exhibitors, visitors, organisers, staff, emergency services, traffic authorities and partners for their contribution to the success of the event.
“The conditions before the show were extremely challenging, yet the team delivered an outstanding NAMPO. Agriculture can be proud of what was achieved this week,” he added.
NAMPO Remains a Strategic Industry Platform
Richard Krige, Grain SA Chairperson said NAMPO continues to serve as a critical platform for the entire agricultural value chain to engage on the future sustainability and competitiveness of South African agriculture.
“NAMPO is far more than an exhibition. It is where agriculture comes together to discuss solutions, build partnerships, drive innovation and confront the realities facing producers,” Krige said.
“This year’s conversations focused on solutions for current profitability and future sustainability – exporting the grains surplus and expanding market opportunities through animal protein and biofuels. Producer profitability remains central to food security, investment and the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Producers cannot continue carrying rising input costs, logistics failures and policy uncertainty indefinitely.”
Krige added that NAMPO continues to demonstrate the importance of unity between organised agriculture, agribusinesses, government, researchers and financial institutions in addressing the sector’s challenges.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Livestock Exhibitors
The outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), together with ongoing disease management measures, created significant challenges for the livestock industry and placed considerable pressure on exhibitors and organisers. Despite these constraints, the resilience, adaptability, and commitment demonstrated by livestock exhibitors ensured that the livestock component at NAMPO remained informative, relevant, and impactful.
Exhibitors embraced innovative approaches to participation by implementing alternative exhibition methods, educational demonstrations, technology-driven displays and new ways of engaging with visitors. These efforts not only ensured compliance with animal health regulations but also highlighted the livestock industry’s ability to adapt under difficult circumstances.
Through these initiatives, visitors were still able to experience the importance of livestock production, superior genetics, animal health management and agricultural innovation in a responsible and meaningful manner. The creativity and professionalism displayed throughout the event reflected the determination of the South African livestock industry to continue advancing despite significant challenges.
Critical Conversations Dominated the Week
Beyond the commercial success of the expo, NAMPO 2026 became a central platform for some of the most important strategic conversations currently shaping the future of South African agriculture.
Throughout the week, Grain SA used NAMPO to facilitate high-level engagements between organised agriculture, government, financial institutions, agribusinesses and industry stakeholders on the urgent pressures facing grain producers and the long-term competitiveness of the sector.
Central themes that dominated discussions included:
- the growing pressure on producer profitability amid rising input costs and low commodity prices,
- the need for improved export competitiveness and market access to move growing grain surpluses,
- logistics and infrastructure constraints affecting agricultural efficiency,
- financing pressure and the impact of debt restructuring requirements on producers,
- the urgent need for responsive trade policy and wheat tariff implementation amid heavily subsidised global competition,
- expansion of domestic value chains and “grain on legs” opportunities through livestock, feed and protein industries,
- the strategic role of biofuels in creating new grain demand and supporting long-term producer sustainability,
- commercialisation pathways and title deed access for developing farmers,
- and the growing need for agricultural technical skills development through initiatives such as NAMPO-Tech.
These discussions reinforced Grain SA’s broader message throughout NAMPO 2026: resilience in agriculture cannot rely on optimism alone, but requires competitiveness, innovation, policy certainty, infrastructure efficiency and profitable producers.
High-level engagements during the week included strategic discussions between Grain SA leadership, financial institutions, government and industry stakeholders focused on practical interventions to strengthen the resilience and long-term sustainability of South African grain production
NAMPO-Tech Highlights Future Agricultural Skills
A major future-focused discussion point during NAMPO 2026 was the growing importance of technical skills development and agricultural technology through Grain SA’s NAMPO-Tech initiative.
The initiative brought together government, training institutions, agribusinesses and industry leaders to address the growing shortage of skilled agricultural technicians, artisans and technology specialists required for modern farming systems.
Discussions highlighted how rapidly advancing mechanisation, precision agriculture, digital farming systems and automation are changing the nature of agricultural work and creating urgent demand for new technical skills across the sector. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of practical workplace-based training models, stronger partnerships between industry and training institutions, and improved access to agricultural skills development opportunities for young people, particularly in rural communities.
“NAMPO-Tech reflects the future direction of agriculture. Innovation alone is not enough – we need skilled people who can apply, maintain and grow these technologies within the agricultural economy,” said Strydom.
The discussions also reinforced the growing role of entrepreneurship, digital agriculture, data-driven farming systems and technical apprenticeships in building a more resilient and globally competitive agricultural sector for South Africa.
Innovation and Business Remain at the Core
Innovation remained central throughout NAMPO Park, from precision agriculture and machinery technology to sustainability solutions, training initiatives and future-focused agricultural equipment.
Exhibitors once again used NAMPO as a preferred platform to launch new technologies, equipment and agricultural solutions, while producers engaged directly with suppliers, researchers and service providers on practical solutions to improve productivity and sustainability.
Positive feedback from exhibitors again confirmed strong business engagement across the value chain, with many companies reporting quality interactions and significant commercial interest throughout the week.
“NAMPO remains one of the most important platforms for agricultural business and engagement anywhere in the world. The quality of discussions, innovation and networking seen this week reinforces the resilience and long-term potential of South African agriculture,” Krige concluded.
Looking Ahead
Grain SA now looks ahead to NAMPO Cape, taking place from 9-12 September 2026 in Bredasdorp, as well as NAMPO ALFA from 2-3 October 2026 at NAMPO Park.
NAMPO 2027
The dates for the 2027 NAMPO Harvest Day have been confirmed as 11 – 14 May 2027 at NAMPO Park outside Bothaville. For more information, the NAMPO website or follow NAMPO on social media platforms.
