Agricultural expos as a as a key to rural development

POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE - There is a great deal of debate about the need to stimulate sustainable rural development in South Africa, especially in terms of keeping small towns and rural agricultural hubs going. Elaborate policy plans and master plans are being developed and discussed.

- Theo Venter

But with rapid urbanisation in the country, not all people are flocking to major cities or metropolitan areas; a large percentage of urbanisation is actually ‘townification’. Many of our small towns and villages are attracting populations. There are many examples in the Free State, North West, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

I have been fortunate to have had the rural town of Potchefstroom as my home base for the past 40 years and have often had the opportunity to visit small towns and rural areas in my work as an academic and consultant. One of the areas that I think is overlooked as a contributor to rural renewal and development is the annual agricultural show, exhibition, fair, or to use the more modern term, ‘expo’. This is not limited to towns or major exhibitions such as the Nampo Harvest Day near Bothaville, the Nampo Cape Expo in Bredasdorp, or the well-known Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg (now in Hilton); it includes agricultural events on farms or regular auctions that have become regional or district get-togethers.