Engage Trade Africa 2026: My Perspective
By: Dylan Naidoo
Looking back on the Engage Trade Africa 2026 event, it was quite clear to me that this was more than just a display of many businesses advertising their products or services, but rather impactful B2B engagement with a clear focus on business relationships. Held at the prestigious Durban ICC, we had the chance to see business stands from various industries. From travel, hospitality and to even an app developer, there were many people to meet. And for me, it was an experience that I don’t think I’ll forget.
But really, it is once you go through the doors of the ICC and dart your eyes around the busy atmosphere that you realise how much more to the event there is than face value. No really, that first point of sale turned on an unassuming switch at the back of my head that I didn’t realise I had, doing sales! On a personal note, yes, I am part of a family where a few of my closest relatives did sales, so whilst not a foreign experience, it was still certainly something out of my comfort zone, but yet, it still felt like that comfort zone was not breached.
Once the stand was set up, I took the moment to capture the energy of the trade show's atmosphere (through my Huawei’s lens, of course) as I felt it was my only opportunity to do so. My micro adventure had me seeing a variety of t stalls, with eager marketing and salespeople ready to tell me about their latest product.
Now saying that our KZN Top Business Portfolio books were popular is quite the understatement, because practically every business that visited to our stall was curious about it, and it is not hard to see why. The portfolio itself is a deeply informative book about various major KZN-based businesses, as well as their visions and goals especially in the KZN province. Essentially, the KZN Top Business Portfolio became rather popular due to its B2B potential, especially for clients interested in working in the KZN region.
Outside of the portfolio, two exclusive Business Sense stands were set full of the September and October issues of Business Sense, featuring Neville Beekman and Elzani Broughton on the front covers. Just like the books, the newspapers were very popular, and unlike the portfolio, attendees could freely pick up a newspaper from the stand and start reading. In many ways, it reflected that element of B2B in action. Attendees at this event were not just the general public, rather other businesses, also with their own stands, taking a break and looking at other stalls for future collaborators.
The Engage Africa Trade truly was an event for forming meaningful business connections whilst also outlining Durban and the KZN region as a premier commercial location. The location of the event at the centre of Durban’s CBD showcased to attendees the active nature of this business heart. And honestly, seeing the reactions at the Engage Trade Africa proved to me that this event showcased more than just B2B, but a genuine interest in the KZN region for business.
