Swartland Show Moorreesburg celebrates 90th year with biggest show ever
The Swartland Show, which attracts around 20 000 visitors annually, will be back from Wednesday 4 September to Saturday 7 September. Over the past nine decades, this event in Moorreesburg has become one of the largest agricultural shows in the Southern and Western Cape, offering a diverse programme suitable for the whole family.
With Afgri as the anchor sponsor, the show is renowned for its R320 million machinery exhibition, featuring the latest and most advanced technology.
According to President Jacques Bester, Swartland Show is honoured to host its 90th edition. "What began as a small gathering of local farmers exchanging ideas on sowing techniques and crop improvement has, thanks to strong community support, grown into one of South Africa's most prominent agricultural and machinery shows," says Bester.
400 animals compete in the Western Cape's biggest beef cattle show
This year's show will feature over 400 cattle, making it the biggest beef cattle exhibition in the Western Cape. The interbreed championship, a major attraction, will see several breeds, including SA Angus Black and Red, SA Hereford, SA Simmentalers, SA Santa Gertrudis, SA Charolais, and SA Afrikaner, competing for prestigious titles.
In the horse show, around 400 horses from various breeds, such as Flemish, Hackney, and saddle horses, will be on display. The highlight will be on Saturday when top horses perform in the ring, with the traditional 8-team carriage horses being a standout attraction.
A First: The Swartland Show Shearing Championships
A new addition to the small livestock section is the Shearing Championships, organised in collaboration with the SA Sheep Shearing Federation and Dr. Jasper Cloete of the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute. On 7 September, shearers will have the opportunity to qualify for the 2025 National Championships. "Come experience the skill and expertise of our shearers and scholar shearers as they compete in six different classes, shearing 300 sheep," says Bester.
Visitors can also look forward to the BKB & FNB Merino Championships, the SA Meat Merino Super 10 Championships, the OVK Interbreed Exhibition, and the annual slaughter lamb competition. The poultry section will feature an exhibition of purebred show poultry, while in the Youth Show, over 230 students from across the Western Cape will compete in 11 different disciplines.
Agriculture 2025: Where Are We Heading?
On 6 September, Grain SA will host an agricultural seminar for 400 guests, with Theo Vorster, CEO of Galileo Capital, chairing the panel. The seminar, themed "Agriculture 2025: Where Are We Going?" will feature insights from three agricultural experts: Sean Walsh of the KAL Group, Dr. Frikkie Maré from the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO), and Dr. Dirk Strydom from Grain SA.
Over 500 women will attend the Afgri Women's Day on 4 September in the InteliGro Wine Garden, with Marciel Hopkins as the guest speaker and music provided by The Muses String Quartet. The show dance will take place on 30 August, during which the 2024 Swartland Show Queen will be crowned.
The Swartland Show also includes a variety of stalls, live music by artists such as Jay, Chris Else, Viljoen Retief, Dodo Nyoka, Jan Rhaap, and others, as well as a range of activities for children.
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.co.za) and at the gates, priced at R50 for Wednesday, R70 for Thursday, R100 for Friday, and R150 for Saturday. Discounts are available for children, pensioners, groups, and multi-day attendance.
For the full programme, visit the website at https://www.swartlandskou.co.za/ and follow @SwartlandskouMoorreesburg on Facebook and @Swartlandskou on Instagram. For inquiries, please email marketing@swartlandskou.co.za.
