Patience Makwele
The Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair has outgrown its current facilities, with demand for exhibition space far exceeding the centre’s capacity, prompting President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to call for its expansion.
The 25th edition received 1 872 applications for exhibition space this year but only 485 exhibitors could be accommodated, according to Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Officially opening the trade fair on Sunday, the President said the growing demand showed that the event had evolved from a local authority exhibition into a major platform for trade promotion, enterprise development, investment and market access.
“The strong demand for exhibition space also presents a challenge that cannot be ignored,” she said.
“One can conclude that the success of the Ongwediva Trade Fair has outgrown its present facilities.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah called on the Ongwediva Town Council, private sector and other stakeholders to mobilise resources for the expansion and continued improvement of the Ongwediva Trade Fair Centre.
The aim, she said, should be to ensure that its infrastructure keeps pace with the demand created by the fair.
The scale of that demand was also highlighted by Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair preparatory committee deputy chairperson Evat Kandongo, who said the fair receives applications from as many as 1 800 prospective exhibitors despite limited space.
Kandongo said the fair had grown “in leaps and bounds” from a small exhibition into a major event with hundreds of exhibitors and international participation.
The growth has also created spillover opportunities for businesses outside the exhibition grounds, he said.
“Accommodation establishments have also got a chance. There is no accommodation in Ongwediva, it was always a struggle this time. It’s a very big struggle,” Kandongo said, adding that shops and other local businesses also benefit from the increased activity.
He said organisers had already expanded some facilities, including a new structure for craft and traditional exhibitors and an additional ablution block equipped for people with disabilities.
Oshana governor Hofni Iipinge said the trade fair had evolved into an important economic meeting point connecting entrepreneurs, established businesses, public institutions, investors, innovators and consumers.
“For us in Oshana, platforms such as this are important because sustainable economic development depends on the connections we create between people, opportunities and markets,” Iipinge said.
He said the fair’s success should ultimately be measured by whether businesses leave the grounds better informed, better connected and better positioned to grow.
Iipinge also urged visitors to look beyond the exhibition grounds and explore economic opportunities in Ongwediva, Oshakati and Ondangwa, as well as surrounding rural communities.
MTC chief technical and information officer Monica Nehemia described trade fairs as economic stimulators, saying their value is reflected when customers connect with businesses, small enterprises find distributors, traditional craftsmen sell their products and innovators present solutions.
“For MTC, sponsorship is not simply trading. It is participation in national development,” she said.
MTC has been a major sponsor of the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair for more than two decades.
Nehemia also proposed that the Ongwediva trade fair share lessons from its growth with other trade fairs and expos, saying it had developed into a platform of national economic significance.
The fair’s growing regional significance was reflected in the participation of Limpopo Province in South Africa, which sent a 26-member delegation comprising heads of department, chief executive officers, senior government and municipal officials and small, medium and micro enterprises.
Limpopo department of economic development, environment and tourism head Matodzi Rathumbu said the delegation would use the fair to strengthen economic cooperation, develop partnerships and exchange ideas with Namibian businesses and institutions.
“The delegation will also draw lessons from the fair as it prepares for the Limpopo Investment Conference on 15 October,” Rathumbu said.
He said Namibia and Limpopo have an opportunity to deepen trade relations and create economic opportunities for businesses on both sides of the border.
“We must continue to build bridges between our regions, expand trade between our people, create opportunities for businesses, and ensure that the bond of friendship between Namibia and South Africa translates into a better quality of life for our people,” he said.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the participation of 36 international exhibitors from South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Botswana further demonstrated that the fair had grown beyond a local event.
She urged stakeholders to use that momentum to develop the centre into a year-round hub for trade, business events, entrepreneurship and investment, rather than limiting its economic impact to the few days of the annual fair.
The President also pointed to the digital platform launched in 2026 as an opportunity to keep exhibitor profiles, products and business information accessible throughout the year.
She said the centre could further embrace green technologies, digital innovation and financially sustainable operating models to support its long-term growth.
“The next chapter must now be about building on that foundation, widening the doors of opportunity, and ensuring that the growth of this Fair translates into greater possibilities for our people and our country,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
