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Hostex 2026 opens as the hospitality industry gathers for its 40th anniversary edition

Retail 9 March 2026

Hostex 2026 has officially opened at the Sandton Convention Centre, welcoming the food, drink and hospitality industry for three days of business, innovation and connection.

Taking place from 8 to 10 March, this 40th anniversary edition marks four decades of opening doors for the sector. What began in 1986 as a platform for suppliers and buyers to meet has evolved into a trade show that reflects the full commercial heartbeat of hospitality in Africa.

Across two exhibition halls and six dedicated industry districts – Equipment Africa, Food & Drink Africa, Tea & Coffee Africa, Contract Furnishings Africa, Technology Africa and Sustainability Africa – Hostex 2026 combines on-floor innovation with live content designed to keep visitors engaged throughout the day.

“Forty years on, Hostex remains a space where the industry reconnects in person,” says Lerato Nako, Event Manager of Hostex. “This edition reflects the realities of modern hospitality — from commercial pressures and operational efficiency to sustainability, talent and technology. It is about creating genuine opportunity for businesses to move forward.”

A show floor built for business

Across both halls, established brands and first-time exhibitors are unveiling new equipment, smarter systems and practical solutions built for today’s hospitality environments.

The International Pavilion brings global perspective to Johannesburg, with exhibitors and pavilions from Poland, China, Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey and Egypt.

The SME Pavilion places growing businesses centre stage, supported by the FNB Business Lounge and a dedicated space for entrepreneurs backed by the dtic and the Limpopo Economic Development Agency.

Skills, competition and culinary craft live on the floor

At the heart of the live experience is the SA Chefs Village, curated by the SA Chefs Association, and designed as a high-energy hub of demonstrations and competitive challenges celebrating professional culinary craft.

The Challenge Arena hosts signature battles, including the Call Out Challenge, Iron Chef competitions and Ready Steady Cook showdowns, bringing intensity and creativity to the show floor. In the Studio demonstration kitchen, suppliers and chefs showcase how ingredients and equipment translate into commercially viable menu solutions.

Coffee excellence and beverage innovation in focus

Coffee and beverage take centre stage in Hall 2, where the Speciality Coffee Association of Southern Africa (SCASA) hosts the Gauteng Regional Barista Championships.

Competitors are judged on extraction accuracy, milk texturing, workflow and flavour balance, offering visitors insight into the standards driving specialty coffee performance. Workshops, cuppings and demonstrations explore water quality, calibration and service workflow, reinforcing beverage as a strategic revenue driver within modern hospitality businesses.

The business — and the stories — behind hospitality

In Hall 2, the Bidfood Industry Hub provides a free-to-attend seminar theatre dedicated to thought leadership and practical discussion. Over three days, sessions explore beverage growth, sustainability compliance, food waste, technology, people development and building businesses that are scale-ready.

Guiding these conversations is Hostex’s ambassador line-up — respected industry leaders who also take to the stage as speakers, including Gustav Pieterse, Iain Evans, Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, Trevor Boyd and Omelele Mmbo. Their participation ensures the programme is grounded in operational reality and commercial insight.

Each afternoon, the Hub shifts from strategy to storytelling with the launch of South African Food Stories — a new YouTube series and video podcast exploring the people, ideas and experiences shaping the future of food in South Africa.

Hosted by published author, television presenter and nutritionist Nicci Robertson, the series goes beyond recipes to uncover the human stories behind South Africa’s food culture. Featuring chefs, restaurateurs, farmers and food entrepreneurs, the conversations explore brand origin stories, business realities and cultural heritage.

The Hostex watch parties feature three celebrated chef-authors across the three days: on Sunday, Naqiyah Mayat; on Monday, Kenneth Tebogo Middleton; and on Tuesday, Zanele Van Zyl.

“There is nothing more fundamentally human than telling stories and eating,” says Robertson. “Every plate has a story worth telling.”

South African Food Stories is proudly supported by Bidfood, FNB and the SA Chefs Association, and is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Live screenings and book signings at Hostex connect those stories directly to the professionals walking the floor.

A once-every-two-year opportunity

Hostex is a trade-only event and will not return until 2028. For hoteliers, restaurateurs, caterers, procurement teams and technology decision-makers, the next three days represent a concentrated opportunity to source, compare and build partnerships that shape the year ahead.