As the Eastern Cape continues to solidify its reputation as one of SA’s key agricultural powerhouses, the upcoming 2026 AGRI 5 Expo KuGompo City edition, is set to play a pivotal role in driving productivity, market access, and technology adoption for producers across the province.
The annual gathering from October 15-16 at Buffalo Club will bring together commercial suppliers, emerging and small-scale farmers, financial institutions, and government stakeholders under one roof to tackle pressing sector challenges, while unlocking new economic opportunities.
AGRI 5 Expo managing director, Tsholo Mokobe, said earlier this week, the province’s diverse agricultural landscape makes the KuGompo event a crucial intervention point for sector growth.
“The Eastern Cape remains one of South Africa’s most important agricultural provinces, with significant activity in livestock, crop production, agro-processing, and emerging farmer development,” Mokobe said.
“The AGRI 5 Expo has become an important platform that brings together farmers, agribusinesses, government institutions, financial service providers, and technology companies to address the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.”
Mokobe said the core objective for this year’s KuGompo gathering is to deliver practical, actionable solutions directly to the farm floor.
“The 2026 East London [KuGompo City] edition aims to strengthen market access, increase awareness of modern farming technologies, promote agro-processing opportunities, and create meaningful networking opportunities for farmers,” he said.
“Our objective is to ensure that farmers leave the expo with practical knowledge, valuable business connections, and access to products and services that can help grow their agricultural enterprises.
“Building on the success of previous Eastern Cape expos, we are focused on empowering farmers with solutions that improve productivity, sustainability, and profitability.”
This year’s showcase will focus heavily on modernising production methods to help local farmers navigate high input costs and climate variability. Key sectors under the spotlight include livestock, poultry, dairy, crop farming, vegetable production, and value-added agro-processing.
“A major focus remains on technology adoption in agriculture, particularly solutions that help farmers improve efficiency while reducing production costs,” Mokobe said.
Visitors to the expo can expect live demonstrations and expert-led discussions on agricultural mechanisation, precision farming tools, drone technology, advanced irrigation systems, water management, animal health, crop protection, and market intelligence.
Crucially, agro-processing is taking centrestage to encourage local producers to move up the value chain.
“Agro-processing will also receive significant attention as we continue encouraging farmers to move beyond primary production and explore value-added opportunities that can increase income and create jobs in rural communities,” Mokobe said.
“The expo creates a platform where farmers can interact with financial institutions, input suppliers, government departments, agricultural experts, and potential buyers.
“These interactions often result in valuable partnerships, training opportunities, and market linkages.
“By bringing the agricultural value chain under one roof, we make it easier for farmers to access resources that would otherwise require significant time and travel to obtain.”
Furthermore, the platform actively bridges the gap between commercial suppliers and grassroots farming communities who rarely get direct access to cutting-edge equipment and services.
“At the same time, farmers are exposed to technologies, equipment, financial solutions, and services that can improve productivity and competitiveness.
“These face-to-face engagements help build trust, encourage knowledge sharing, and often lead to long-term business relationships.
“As AGRI 5 Expo continues to expand nationally, our commitment remains unchanged: creating opportunities, facilitating partnerships, and contributing to a stronger, more inclusive agricultural sector that benefits farmers of all sizes across South Africa,” Mokobe added.
