The local food and beverage sector is the most significant component of South Africa's manufacturing industry, involving agriculture and agro-processing. The local sector is experiencing increasing demand, especially in the consumption of beverages. Soft drink consumption is on the rise as customers consume more carbonated drinks. The consumption of bottled water has also grown significantly and there has been an increased demand among younger consumers for products such as energy drinks. Another trend in the beer market is the shift in consumer preference toward low and non-alcoholic beers and craft beers.

Drinks consumption overall increased in 2022, to above 2019, 2020 and 2021 levels. Beer consumption increased to 3,2-billion litres; ready-to-drink packaged beverages, fruit beverages and spirit coolers increased to 697-million litres and wine consumption increased to 453-million litres, indicating strong demand in the local beverage sector.

The Western Cape provincial economy accounts for 45% of the country’s agricultural exports, 70% of beverage exports and 85% of fishery exports. Seven of the top ten exports from the province are agricultural or agro-processed productions. The Western Cape wine industry is the ninth largest wine producer in the world.

These local factors make Propak Cape, taking place in Cape Town later this month, the ideal place to showcase all the latest technologies for the food processing and agri-business sectors in the country. A number of companies will use the event to launch their new solutions for the food processing and beverage sectors.

Latest solutions for the food processing and beverage sectors

The Bidvest Group will showcase six companies, representing a comprehensive portfolio of world-class packaging and labelling solutions, under the Bidvest Packaging brand at Propak Cape 2023. Aluminium Foil Converters (AFC) specialises in foil lidding and closures for the dairy, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and agrochemical industries. Lufil Packaging manufactures and distributes a wide range of paper bags, wraps, and tissue products. Masterpack excels in producing folding cartons, header and blister cards, paper bags, and package inserts. Rotolabel, an expert in high-quality product identification labels, caters to the food, wine, pharmaceutical, and hygiene sectors. S&N Labels boasts a range of functional labels, price-marking, and thermal transfer systems. Bidvest Mobility, a specialist in enterprise mobility and barcode computing solutions, adds a technological edge to the comprehensive packaging and labelling offerings.

Astratek will launch the new Hygienic Conveyor which redefines conveyor solutions in the food industry. The new design reduces food safety risks while decreasing cleaning time and boosting overall efficiency.

Economy Process Solutions will present various technologies for the food, beverage, dairy and wine industries, including the turnkey beverage processing plant, continuous sugar dissolving systems and comprehensive dairy solutions to turnkey winery and brewery solutions. The company will also display 3D models of a juice plant, a dairy plant inclusive of by-products, and a pasteurizer & homogenizer skid. 

Ishida South Africa will launch its Ishida IX-EN Series at Propak Cape. The new versatile X-ray machine covers a wide range of packed products, using the patented Ishida Genetic Algorithm technology for greater sensitivity to specific foreign bodies. Contaminants can be detected in steel, aluminium, tin, glass, stones, rubber, bones and shells, providing unrivalled food safety and brand protection.

OrbitFilters and SFB Engineering will showcase its new locally produced pressure filter for extending cooking oil life in large industrial fryers. The 5th Pressure OrbitFilter is proven to be very effective in the removal of solids from hot cooking oil during process in continuous industrial belt fryers, significantly increasing the usable oil life. Oil Filters have applications in the meat and poultry, snacks, chips, tree nuts and peanuts, frozen potatoes, donuts, and breakfast treats sectors.

Rhine Ruhr Process Equipment will launch the new Life Portfolio at Propak Cape 2023, a comprehensive range of homogenisation, mixing, filling, and labelling solutions featuring state-of-the-art technology from partners never before seen in South Africa. The company will be showcasing the TPS Inline High Shear Mixer, ideal for demanding applications requiring high shear rates and mixing intensities. The company will also display the ViscoJet IBC-mount Agitator designed for use in intermediate bulk containers, as well as the DeVree Semi-Automated Volumetric Filling Machine ideal for a variety of applications, including filling bottles, cans, jars and tubs.

TNA Solutions provides solutions to the food manufacturing industry. The company will be demonstrating its TNA Robag 3e, with capabilities of up to 250 bags per minute with minimal wastage. The product also features the OMS 5, a responsive variable mass seasoning system with a dynamic vibratory weigh conveyor to directly control product, oil spray and flow of seasoning powder into a single drum.

USS Pactech will display a range of machines for the food sector, such as the SN pouch machine for stand-up pouches with zipper running recyclable mono material, a Multiweigh 14 head scale, a PFM MBP RX 800 continuous intermittent bagger, a Variovac Optimus thermoformer and a Supervac belt type vacuum packing machine. For the beverage sector, the company will exhibit a Comac 10/2 can filler/seamer for carbonated products up to 6000 cans per hour, which is of particular interest for craft breweries and wineries as well as a latest generation modular PE Labeller with 3 self-adhesive label stations.

Meet all the exhibitors at Propak Cape

All these new innovations and more will be on show at the Propak Cape exhibition taking place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from 24-26 October. With just under 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest market related trends and developments, visitors to this year’s event can expect to see thousands of new and innovative products from across packaging, plastics, print, labelling, food processing and related industries.

Propak Cape is supported by the Institute of Packaging SA (IPSA), Packaging SA, Plastics SA, Printing SA, and the Aerosol Manufacturers Association (AMA). IPSA will be running a one-day high-level Responsible Packaging conference alongside the show on the Wednesday, 25 October. Booking and cost details can be accessed on the Propak Cape website.  

Content-rich free-to-attend seminars will take place each day of the show, presented by industry experts.

Visitors can register online for free access to Propak Cape at www.propakcape.co.za

Specialised Exhibitions is a division of Montgomery Group.