Propak Cape pulled out all the stops and delivered a world-class show in the Western Cape.

A power-packed showcase of latest trends, technologies, machinery, services and solutions, Propak Cape took place at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) from 24-26 October 2023, and received massive support from exhibitors and visitors.

Throughout the three days of the show, there was a palpable energy in the exhibition hall: a buzz of activity and a positive vibe. Thousands of new products and innovations were on display, and exciting live demos of machinery in action took place.

The show comprised 200 exhibitors, and more than 7,300 visitors attended the 3 days. Recognised for its ability to link together people and products, build quality business connections and facilitate sales, exhibitors reported a high number of onsite sales and hundreds of quality sales leads generated. The networking opportunity was invaluable for all participants.

Exhibitors were positive about their participation at the expo, with Divon van Zyl, Marketing Manager at Filmatic Packaging Systems, saying, “It has been a very busy show with high quality visitors. The networking has been fantastic - both for returning customers and new customers.” Lars Frohlich, MD at USS Pactech, had an “An excellent expo,” and says that “The caliber of people has been very good, and the combination of new leads and existing clients has been a nice mix. We have already booked for the next expo.” And Michael Aengenvoort, Group CEO at Rotocon, explained that they have already signed for the next Propak Cape in 2026, and confirmed that they have, “Gathered some great leads at the show, and also sold some equipment.”

Visitor feedback was also positive with many saying they found the products and services they were looking for, and how convenient it was bringing all the industry suppliers together in one venue to see the latest industry products and trends.

Propak Cape showcased the key trends driving growth in the South African packaging, plastics, food processing, printing, labelling and related industries in the next 5 years.

Content-rich free-to-attend seminars presented by industry experts were a valuable addition to the show, highlighting global trends and how the SA market can take advantage of these developments. Amongst the topics presented, Johan van Wyk, Sales and Marketing Director at Fang, spoke about the rapidly evolving landscape of the packaging industry, and how the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in enhancing electronic security. Volker Ditscher, Director Global Sales Track & Trace at WIPOTEC-OCS shared how manufacturers and retailers will benefit from using GS1 2D codes, Masale Manoko, Sustainability Manager, Southern Africa at Tetra Pak, shared exciting insights regarding the impact of EPR in South Africa, and Don MacFarlane, Packaging Senior at Woolworths South Africa talked about designing and developing packaging differently from both a legislative as well as sustainability perspective. These seminars were enriching for attendees and a successful addition to the show.

Propak Cape was supported by the Institute of Packaging SA (IPSA), who also hosted a high-level Responsible Packaging conference alongside Propak Cape, Packaging SA, Plastics SA, Printing SA, and the Aerosol Manufacturers Association (AMA).

Specialised Exhibitions is a division of Montgomery Group.