Chefs’ Challenge, Learn to be a Barista and Taste of Liquid Africa are the four new features at the 15th edition of Africa’s Big Seven (AB7), which will take place at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, between June 25 and 27, 2017.
Organised and acquired in 2016 by international expo organiser dmg events Middle East, it will be co-located with SAITEX 2017, Africa’s largest retail product sourcing event.
Both are a part of Retail and Hospitality Week Africa 2017, alongside The Hotel Show Africa 2017, which will bring one of the world’s most successful hospitality event brands to the continent for the first time.
This year, the event will attract 300 exhibitors from 26 countries, including India, Sri Lanka, China, Brazil and several European and African nations.
Giving the insight about this year’s event, Christine Davidson, vice-president, dmg events Middle East, said, “This year’s show will meet all buyers’ needs, offering essential information, live demonstrations and discussion, with a bit of inspiration too.”
“Whether visitors are chefs, restaurant or café owners or managers, all will find everything they need at AB7, be it on the show floor, at the conference or at live demonstrations, training, networking or presentations.”
Davidson added, “This year we are hoping to welcome more than 20 companies from India participating at the event.”
Meanwhile, informing about Indo-African trade relations, Davidson said, “When dmg arrived in Africa last year, it coincided with a visit by India’s prime minister Narendra Modi to four nations, including South Africa.”
“There are historic links dating back 100 years. South Africa has successful communities of people with Indian ancestry, to which Modi referred,” she added.
“India has $72 billion of annual trade with Africa, while China has three times that amount. But in South Africa, India is the bigger trade partner, with 2015 trade valued at $6.7 billion,” Davidson stated.
“It is believed that China has been a stronger investor in Africa over the past decade-and-a-half, but India has, in the past few years, recognised the opportunities and has worked harder to build trade links. From cheaper medicines to hair weaves, there is a lot of evidence of Indian co-operation,” she added.
Source: fnbnews.com