06 Apr 2025 Propak Africa delivers a powerful showcase of cutting-edge packaging innovations
Propak Africa 2025, in your editor’s opinion, was the best ever – a fantastic showcase of packaging and food processing tech….
Propak Africa brought together more than 500 local and international exhibitors, presenting thousands of cutting-edge products, technologies, and services across the packaging, plastics, printing, food processing, and labelling sectors.
Over four days, the event served as a powerful platform for innovation, industry connection, and commercial opportunity, drawing strong engagement from professionals across the value chain.
Adding significant value to the overall event experience, over 60 expert speakers delivered compelling, informative sessions at the two seminar theatres and at the Institute of Packaging SA (IPSA) half-day conferences.
Taking place from 11-14 March at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg, over 12,500 visitors attended Propak Africa – a 28% increase from the 2022 edition of the event.
The MD of Specialised Exhibitions, Gary Corin, described the show as having “a really positive vibe” and that the trade that has taken place has been exceptional.
“We’ve had a high number of good quality visitors, and our numbers are up from three years ago – substantially so. It’s really encouraging, not just for the show, but also for the economy and for the industries the show represents.”
As organisers, Specialised Exhibitions recognises the significant investment exhibitors bring to the show floor — not only in state-of-the-art machinery and product displays, but also in the presence and time of their senior executives actively engaging with visitors.
“It’s impressive to see the industry coming together and the investment made,” said Portfolio Director Mark Anderson. “The entire spectrum of the packaging sector is represented at Propak Africa — packaging, plastics, processing, labelling, and printing for packaging — truly bringing the full supply chain under one roof for four days.”
“Exhibitors have been selling machinery from their exhibition stands – we’ve seen a number of SOLD signs on the big machinery displayed at Propak Africa,” added Anderson. “The show has surpassed expectations. Our onsite rebooking programme for the next Propak Africa in 2028 has already secured just under 70% of the exhibitors. This is a really good testament to the excellent show that our exhibitors enjoyed this year.”
Exhibitors respond positively
Filmatic Packaging Systems has been an exhibitor at Propak Africa for 40 years, with the primary objective being to display their latest machines. The company’s MD, Riaan van Zyl, said the 2025 edition was their best Propak with excellent visitor quality and numbers.
Another long-term exhibitor, Techniques Group director, Kevin Baitz, said, “We’ve exhibited at Propak since the very first show and we come because we always secure new customers. Propak is good exposure for us in terms of existing clients and potential clients. It enables us to reconnect with existing customers. The advantage of the meeting face to face in this environment cannot be found anywhere else. We have already signed up for Propak Africa 2028.”
Regulars to Propak Africa, Ulma Packaging’s MD, Eddie Rademan, said this year the quality of the visitors impressed him. “We do not come to sell from the stand necessarily, but to meet our existing customers, make new contacts and to network and that has worked well for us. We will be back for the next Propak.”
Polyoak Packaging is another long-term exhibitor at Propak with Michelle Penlington, National Executive: Marketing, explaining that they exhibit to show support for the industry and to collaborate up and down the value chain.
“What we also love about Propak is that it gives the company the opportunity to spoil its customers not only on our stand but with some of the services Specialised Exhibitions offers such as VIP parking and the hospitality lounge”.
They also cultivate new potential customers at the show. “We have seen many SMEs this show and we have products and services to assist them to grow from little fish to big fish,” she said.
Teamwork and planning ensure success
“It’s an entire team that plays its part in putting a show like this together,” said Anderson. “We have a strong core team of sales, marketing, operations and accounts, and have a fabulous partnership and network with suppliers and contractors that provide logistical and other support services. This ensures that every exhibitor and every visitor can enjoy a positive experience at the show.
“We look forward to hosting our exhibitors and visitors again at the next Propak Africa from 7-10 March 2028 at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg,” added Anderson. “There is also a big demand for packaging in the Western Cape, so we run Propak Cape around 18 months after each Propak Africa, both rotating on a three-year cycle. We’re looking forward to seeing many of our exhibitors and a lot of our visitors down in the Western Cape in October 2026”.
For further information visit www.propakcape.co.za and www.propakafrica.co.za