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CAPE TOWN & JOHANNESBURG // SOUTH AFRICA
Exhibition Calendar
2026/2027 EXHIBITION SHOW DATES
These are the major trade shows and exhibitions in South Africa that we focus on, all in one place: dates, venues, cities and the one number most calendars leave out, when to brief your exhibition stand builder if you want a custom stand instead of a panic build. We keep this page updated twice a year, so bookmark it, plan against it, and when your show comes into range, you know where to find us.
Happinest Custom designs and manufactures custom exhibition stands in our 3,000sqm factory and installs them at every venue on this page, across South Africa.
Decorex Joburg + 100% Design Africa
30 July - 2 August 2026 | Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg Africa's premier decor, design and lifestyle showcase, running alongside 100% Design Africa across five levels of Sandton. Design-led brands live or die on stand craft here; this is the show our award-winning Woolworths Home build calls home turf.
Electra Mining Africa
7 - 11 September 2026 | Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec The giant: Southern Africa's biggest industrial show, over 1,000 exhibitors across mining, electrical, automation, power, manufacturing and transport, running with POWERex and its co-located expos, plus the new outdoor Orange Zone. On a floor this size, a beige stand is invisible. Brief your builder by: end July
Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD)
16 - 20 September 2026 | Air Force Base Waterkloof, Centurion (Tshwane) The continent's only combined aerospace and defence trade exhibition and air show: three trade days followed by two public air show days, with 200+ exhibitors from over 30 countries and national pavilions everywhere you look. This is not a convention-centre build; it's temporary infrastructure on an air force base, with stricter security, access and logistics than any show on this list. Exactly the kind of build most stand builders avoid and we enjoy. Brief your builder by: end July
Comic Con Africa
24 - 27 September 2026 | Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec Africa's biggest pop culture and gaming festival, where global entertainment, gaming and consumer brands compete for the loudest activation on the floor. This is a fan event, not a trade show, which means the winning stands are experiential: immersive worlds, photo moments, play. Our favourite kind of brief. Brief your builder by: end of July 2026. Note: exhibitor services orders close mid-August, well before the show.
Propak Cape
27 - 29 October 2026 | CTICC, Cape Town The Cape's packaging, plastics, printing and labelling trade show, where technical brands need stands that demo machinery and still look sharp. Brief your builder by: early September 2026.
FAME Week Africa
28 October - 1 November 2026 | CTICC 2, Cape Town Africa's creative industries under one roof: film, TV, animation, music and fashion, including MIP Africa and the new Music Week programme. Creative-economy brands are judged by their space here; an ordinary shell scheme says the wrong thing to exactly the wrong audience. Brief your builder by: early September 2026.
AfricaCom / Africa Tech Festival
17 - 19 November 2026 (VIP programme from 16 Nov) | CTICC, Cape Town The continent's biggest tech and telecoms gathering, 29 editions strong. Global brands, big budgets and the most competitive show floor in Cape Town. Tech buyers expect stands with integrated screens, demo zones and meeting spaces that actually work. Brief your builder by: mid-September 2026.
Investing in African Mining Indaba
8 - 11 February 2027 | CTICC, Cape Town The premier mining investment event in Africa, where global mining houses, governments and investors deal-make for four days. We've installed multiple stands across its halls in a single edition, so we know exactly what the CTICC build window can and can't absorb. International exhibitors: this is the show to lock a South African exhibition stand builder for early. [Link: /international-exhibitors] Brief your builder by: end of November 2026 for custom; earlier for double-storey.
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More 2027 dates landing here soon!
WTM Africa (April, CTICC), Africa's Travel Indaba (May, Durban ICC), Enlit Africa (May, CTICC), Decorex Cape Town (June, CTICC), Decorex Joburg (July/August, Sandton) and the full 2027 calendar will be added as organisers confirm dates.
Exhibiting at a show that isn't listed? Brief us anyway; if it has a floor plan, we build for it.
OUR STORY
meet the team
behind the magic.
The Happinest crew is a passionate team of makers, problem-solvers, designers, carpenters, welders, painters, project managers and creatives who thrive on bringing big ideas to life.
With decades of combined experience and a hands-on approach to every project, the team works together under one roof to deliver custom-built experiences, exhibition stands, activations and environments that balance creativity, quality and speed. From concept to installation, they're the people who turn ambitious ideas into reality.
What sets Happinest apart?
Top-tier design, in-house production, and a seamless experience that delivers high impact results... fast.
Booking Deadlines Are The Cheapest Upgrade In Exhibiting
BOLD & IMPACTFUL EXHIBITION STANDS
award-winning exhibition stand builders
At Happinest Custom, we’re known for creating exhibition stands that get noticed. With award-winning designs and a reputation for reliability, we’re the go-to for brands and businesses that want to make an impact on the show floor.
OUR AWARD HISTORY:
2023: Best Stand Design (Kamers Awards)
2024: EXSA BEST STAND AWARD (Client: Disney+)
2024: BEST STAND AWARD (Comrades Expo - Client: Road Accident Fund)
2025: BEST STAND AWARD (Decorex - Client: Belgotex)
2026: BEST EXPERIENTIAL STAND AWARD (Decorex - Client: Woolworths Home)
contact us on custom@happinest.co.za
OUR COMMITMENT
quality.
creativity.
speed.
At Happinest Custom, what makes us different is the perfect mix of creativity, quality, and speed. We're an exhibition stand builder that doesn't just create designs, we craft experiences.
Our in-house team is driven by bold ideas and a passion for bringing them to life in innovative ways. From the first render to the final build, we ensure that every project not only meets the highest standards of craftsmanship but is also delivered at the speed you need.
We know that time is crucial, but we never compromise on quality. Whether it's a custom exhibition stand, a brand activation, or any other creative build, we get it done with precision, creativity, and a quick turnaround.
As an experienced exhibition stand builder and brand activation partner, we're the go-to choice for brands that want to stand out, get noticed, and make an impact.
the company we keep
BRANDS WE'VE BUILT FOR
