Windhoek Show gets the thumbs down

The recently held annual Windhoek Agriculture and Industrial Show has been described by many as the worst ever.

The show that is over 40 years old and has been the capital’s most anticipated event every year, has changed in many ways, but was very badly organised this year with lots of confusion and complaints from the public as well as exhibitors. Some exhibitors from outside Namibia, who have been coming to the show for many years to sell their products, were so unimpressed with this year’s organisation that they have vowed not to come back.Problems ranging from safety, power cuts and unhygienic conditions were the order of the day for the nine days the show was on.Some members of the public complained about dirty toilets with no toilet paper available, while some were robbed of their cellphones by pickpockets, even though security guards could be seen everywhere.Paul Nyembe, an exhibitor from Kenya who was selling items such as African print clothing and jewelry, said he was disappointed in the show’s organisation.He said on the first day the gates were not opened until almost 10h00, and they could only start selling their goods at around midday, as it took them almost another hour to unpack their merchandise.”They [organisers] said gates will open at 08h00 for the exhibitors so that we have time to unpack before they open for the public at 09h00, but every day they were opening the gates late, and some security guards at the gates were even rude to us when we had to hang around outside waiting.”It paints a bad picture and I have been exhibiting here for the past six years, and have never experienced the disorganisation of this year, and I really have to think hard if I will come back again,” said Nyembe.Annemarie Louw, who was running one of the few fast-food and toys stalls, told Nampa that there were a few times that young men tried to rob her stall, as she was working alone and sometimes could not have her attention everywhere.”I asked the show people to put a security guard near my stall just to discourage would-be-thieves but they said it was impossible, but I could see a lot of guards just roaming around and not even noticing when things were happening or about to happen,” said Louw.She will, however, return to the show next year, as she did very well in selling her goods.Julia Angula, who has been a loyal show goer for the past 10 years, said she was very unimpressed with the many outside stalls that were selling cheap Chinese trinkets, as they gave the show a cheap flea market look.”I have seen a few of them over the years selling these cheap toys and other goods outside, but this year it is like they took over all the stalls outside and it just looked so ridiculous.It was also too noisy as these people were not only selling these cheap things, but also playing loud music at their stalls, and one didn’t even know what one was listening to.It was like being in a shebeen, and if this is the show’s new look then I will stop wasting my money in attending,” said an irritated Angula.Traditional food vendors were unhappy about power cuts that were too frequent at their side, and at times they had to serve cold food and warm drinks to customers when their microwaves and fridges were not working because of the power outages.”We understand that there were power cuts also now and then in the halls, but people in the halls were given warning prior to the cuts but with us, you would just see the microwave not working when you want to warm up food for a customer, which is very embarrassing.Our power cuts were also as many as 10 times a day while it was very rare in the halls”, said Penny Petrus, a traditional food vendor at the show for the past few years.- NampaSome exhibitors from outside Namibia, who have been coming to the show for many years to sell their products, were so unimpressed with this year’s organisation that they have vowed not to come back.Problems ranging from safety, power cuts and unhygienic conditions were the order of the day for the nine days the show was on.Some members of the public complained about dirty toilets with no toilet paper available, while some were robbed of their cellphones by pickpockets, even though security guards could be seen everywhere.Paul Nyembe, an exhibitor from Kenya who was selling items such as African print clothing and jewelry, said he was disappointed in the show’s organisation.He said on the first day the gates were not opened until almost 10h00, and they could only start selling their goods at around midday, as it took them almost another hour to unpack their merchandise.”They [organisers] said gates will open at 08h00 for the exhibitors so that we have time to unpack before they open for the public at 09h00, but every day they were opening the gates late, and some security guards at the gates were even rude to us when we had to hang around outside waiting.”It paints a bad picture and I have been exhibiting here for the past six years, and have never experienced the disorganisation of this year, and I really have to think hard if I will come back again,” said Nyembe.Annemarie Louw, who was running one of the few fast-food and toys stalls, told Nampa that there were a few times that young men tried to rob her stall, as she was working alone and sometimes could not have her attention everywhere.”I asked the show people to put a security guard near my stall just to discourage would-be-thieves but they said it was impossible, but I could see a lot of guards just roaming around and not even noticing when things were happening or about to happen,” said Louw.She will, however, return to the show next year, as she did very well in selling her goods.Julia Angula, who has been a loyal show goer for the past 10 years, said she was very unimpressed with the many outside stalls that were selling cheap Chinese trinkets, as they gave the show a cheap flea market look.”I have seen a few of them over the years selling these cheap toys and other goods outside, but this year it is like they took over all the stalls outside and it just looked so ridiculous.It was also too noisy as these people were not only selling these cheap things, but also playing loud music at their stalls, and one didn’t even know what one was listening to.It was like being in a shebeen, and if this is the show’s new look then I will stop wasting my money in attending,” said an irritated Angula.Traditional food vendors were unhappy about power cuts that were too frequent at their side, and at times they had to serve cold food and warm drinks to customers when their microwaves and fridges were not working because of the power outages.”We understand that there were power cuts also now and then in the halls, but people in the halls were given warning prior to the cuts but with us, you would just see the microwave not working when you want to warm up food for a customer, which is very embarrassing.Our power cuts were also as many as 10 times a day while it was very rare in the halls”, said Penny Petrus, a traditional food vendor at the show for the past few years.- Nampa