KENYA – FW Africa, the publishers of leading magazines and organisers of several successful events in Africa’s food industry has announced a new event that will change the game in the dairy industry in Africa.
The Dairy Manufacturing Africa Summit & Expo, which is planned for September 21-22, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring together the key stakeholders from the private, public, non-profit and academia/research from the dairy industry in Africa and globally to set the pace for the future of the industry in the Continent.
“The dairy industry in Africa is at a critical phase of development in its quest to be more innovative, efficient and sustainable. The industry faces a number of head winds, such as stagnating farm productivity in key producer countries such as Kenya and South Africa and challenges with quality and food safety, while the sector has remained behind in the adoption of new technologies that have become fairly common in other sectors of the food industry, such as the beverages and milling industries in Africa,” says Francis Juma, the Founder & CEO of FW Africa.
“This Summit & Expo has been conceptualized to provide the pan-African platform where the main dairy industry stakeholders – farmers, dairy processors and retailers – from Africa and beyond, shall gather every year with government ministries and agencies, suppliers of new technologies, NGOs and development organisations and academicians and researchers involved in the sector to learn, network and discover the latest ideas and technologies in the dairy sphere.”
According to Juma, despite the challenges the sector is grappling with, the dairy industry in Africa has a bright future, driven by the rising demand for milk products and intensifying awareness of the excellent nutrition, health and wellness credentials of dairy in the Continent due to surging urban populations, better incomes and changes in consumer tastes and preferences.
The organisers expect more than 4,000 attendees from across Africa to attend the event, with free access to the conference and exhibition by all attendees, with signed up visitors already received from more than 20 countries in the Continent.
The event will comprise of high quality educational conference sessions which will be addressed by some of the most important investors and executives in the dairy sector in Africa and other stakeholders from government ministries and agencies, technology providers and others.
The adjacent Expo Hall will showcase the latest ingredients and chemicals; storage, equipment and packaging solutions; laboratory, quality, traceability and food safety products and services; financial, insurance and risk management solutions; heating/cooling, humidification, refrigeration and ventilation services etc. for Africa’s dairy and liquid foods industry.
Innovations & Sustainability at the core
One of the key topical issues to be covered at the event include how to infuse new innovative technologies along the dairy value chains in Africa, considering the potential transformational impact that innovations can have on the industry.
These include innovations in new product development that shall meet the needs of the changing, younger and digitally-driven consumers; to innovations in farming, animal nutrition and feeding technologies; to new storage, processing and packaging technologies that will improve efficiency, quality and food safety; to digitalization, traceability and cybersecurity that will improve resilience along the value chains, from farm-to-fork.
The other key topical issue at the event will be how the dairy industry in Africa can become more sustainable: from boosting local production of milk to meet increasing demand, while reducing imports; to renewable energy transition, water and waste management, plus issues such as diversity, equity and inclusion in the sector across Africa. Solutions around reducing the negative impact of the dairy sector on the environment, will also be discussed.
Other issues at the event, according to Juma, will include how to improve nutrition, health and wellness; uplift investments and funding; streamline regulatory compliance, marketing and supply chains; and boost operational excellence in the dairy value chains in Africa.
The organisers are excited with the response so far since the announcement of the Summit & Expo, and are hopeful that the event can build the momentum to become Africa’s leading dairy industry event, considering that they do plan to host the event across some of the key milk producing countries in Africa in future.
“The response to the event has been very positive and we are looking forward to an impactful first edition of the event in September 2023. While the main milk producing countries in Africa remain South Africa and Kenya, emerging countries such as Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia and many more deserve to host the event in the future. Some of these countries are projected to be the main drivers of milk consumption in Africa, so leaving them out will not serve the interests of the dairy industry in the Continent, where we need more opportunities to initiate or boost investments and innovation in the sector.”
He adds that so far, a number of industry leaders from the region have confirmed their participation as speakers at the Summit, including Joachim Westerweld, the Executive Chairman of Bio Food Products; Denis Chitowe, the Founder & Managing Director of Mzuzu Dairy in Malawi; Nkosana Mtimkulu, the Founder of South Western Dairy in South Africa; and Kalpa Padia, the Managing Director of Raka Milk Processors Ltd. Many more speakers will be announced in due course, he reveals.
Growing food industry events
The 2023 will be hosted at the premier Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, which offers un-paralleled venue that will inspire the sponsors, exhibitors and attendees at the event. With a central location in the Westlands district of Nairobi, the venue, according to the organisers, is the perfect fit for this pan-African event.
Juma reiterates that Nairobi offers a central location for all attendees in the Continent to access the event with ease and that FW Africa’s 10 years of publishing Africa’s best well-read magazines and organizing impactful African food industry focused events will come in handy to ensure the success of the event.
“Dairy Manufacturing Africa Summit & Expo joins a growing list of African food industry focused events that we have been hosting for nearly 10 years. These include our very own AFMASS Food Expo, which has been hosted successfully since 2015 in Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania. We have over the years build a strong following with our events, which also includes the Africa Food Safety & Nutrition Summit series, the Africa Food Sustainability Summit and the Africa Food Industry Excellence Awards.”
“While our Africa food industry targeted trade magazines – including Food Business Africa, Milling & Baking Africa, Food Safety Africa and Sustainable Packaging Africa – are relied upon by the food industry stakeholders across Africa and beyond, our range of events are the platforms to enhance networking and trade with and within Africa’s food industry. We are truly proud of our focus on the food industry in Africa and will continue to develop new solutions for the sector,” he concludes.
More information about the Dairy Manufacturing Africa Summit & Expo can be found on the website www.dairybevafrica.com
