The Rand Show: Evolution
JOBURG - From its humble beginnings as a horticultral exhibition by the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society in 1894, the Rand Show has gone from strength to strength.
The show has been a highlight on the nation’s calendar for 120 years, and has been formally opened by kings, presidents, cabinet ministers and company directors as testament to its importance.
After the show received a massive boost via the 1936 Empire Exhibition, the popularity of the show continued to rise, and it eventually attracted more than half a million visitors.
“The show, now known as the Rand Easter Show, began to find its traditional home [at Milner Park] somewhat snug. It relocated in 1984 to the Johannesburg Expo Centre at Nasrec,” said show spokesperson Craig Newman.
The show’s success continued until it was sold at the beginning of the new millennium.
Newman said the change was “not a good one”.
“By the time it moved to Gallagher Estate in 2009, it had lost many of the elements for which it had become best known, most notably the agricultural displays,” he said.
“Now focused on hosting rock concerts… the show began to lose ground, taking on the air of a giant fleamarket cum bazaar.”
But the show would not be kept down for long.
“That same year, the show was sold to Nasrec, and new managers were brought in to return the show to its former position as South Africa’s premier consumer exhibition,” he said.
The show was re-launched at a 30-hectare site at Nasrec in 2010, and attracted 175 000 visitors.
Visitor numbers soared to 245 000 over the next few years, as the new managers reintroduced elements of earlier shows that resonated with the crowds.
This year, the show organisers will launch a small-scale agricultural exhibition, with livestock, poultry and other attractions.
The show will also feature a large food market and halls dedicated to home, technology, health, beauty, wellness and fashion.
Entertainment will include the Snow World, daily shows with the UK’s Naked Scientist, and bird and reptile shows.
“From military displays to exhibits by government departments and parastatals, from halls offering a platform for every type of business, to displays from the motoring, agricultural and tourism industries, the Rand Show has it all,” said Newman.
The show will run from 18 until 28 April at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec.
Details: www.randshow.co.za
