Windhoek
Chairperson of the Gobabis Show Society Floris van Niekerk supports the idea of a unified Gobabis Show and Omaheke Trade Fair, but says it must not happen to the detriment of any of the established events.
“The annual Gobabis Show is the oldest show in the country, and it traditionally serves as feedlot for the Windhoek Show. Once again, despite a drought and difficult economic circumstances, the Gobabis Show in the heartland of ‘Cattle Country’ will be the proud host of more than 200 cattle and some 180 small stock (September 21-23). Most of these pick of the crop animals will also be displayed at the Windhoek Show,” he notes.
He says the Gobabis Show represents the true essence of an agricultural show where the focus is primarily on livestock and the industrial side of the show caters for livestock farming. “The Gobabis Show is not a trade fair. We are serious about livestock farming and showcasing the absolute best animal available in the region,” he stresses.
According to van Niekerk, almost all halls have been fully booked for the duration of the show, and attendants can expect to see some new faces this year. “All our old customers will be back in town on September 21, and various newcomers will be there as well. One of the new faces will be NamPower’s display and informative stall as the country’s power supplier. This surely proves that the Gobabis Show remains an important venue for exhibitors that want to make a powerful statement,” he says.
Van Niekerk says on the entertainment side, the show has also prepared a few surprises this year. “We are not staging the traditional Miss Show beauty pageant, but opted for an ‘Oupa and Ouma’ competition whereby grand-children can enter their grandparents, and this should prove very popular as we want to involve the elderly and pay tribute to their relentless inputs over the years to make our show so popular,” he said.
The Meat Board will sponsor this year’s popular slaughter oxen competition with N$50 000, and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development Piet van der Walt, will officially open the show.