The Consumer Fair Is Here

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday August 23, 2010 00:00

Despite the slight drop in the number of exhibitors this year, there has been an increase in the number of stalls.

The number of exhibitors dropped a little from 320 last year to 318, while the stalls increased to 517 from 507 last year.

Fairgrounds Holdings Marketing and Communications Manager, Nyaladzi Kutjwe, says despite the country still reeling from the bruises of the recent global economic downturn, they are expecting visitors to come in large numbers to the show.

'I think the recession did not hit us that much. Last year we managed a record 62,480 visitors while still in the middle of the recession, we anticipate this number to increase at this years show,' Kutjwe said.

She said in addition to local exhibitors, they are expecting exhibitors from Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Japan. 'We have paved the walkways in our premises and added a new eating area so our visitors will enjoy their meals without struggling to find a place to eat,' said Kutjwe.

She said one of the main challenges was that the annual agricultural fair was cancelled due to Rift Valley Fever disease in Ramotswa.

'This brought about a challenge because people thought the consumer fair would be cancelled as well.

We had to work hard to assure people that the fair is still on,'she said. The fair theme is: 'Your spring shopping oasis'.

Judging will start on Tuesday and the prize awards ceremony will be on Thursday. The fair ends on August 29.