The large number and quality of delegations that attended the 2024 edition of the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition were praised by those attending, and further trumpeted by the organisers.
Noting the increase in delegation numbers at the twelfth edition held at Air Force Base Waterkloof in September, organisers in a post-show report stated that AAD 2024 welcomed 86 official delegations from 33 countries, “showcasing the event’s international prominence in the defence and security arena.”
Delegation representatives included 36 ministers, 20 deputy ministers, 46 secretaries of defence, 34 chiefs of defence forces, 27 chiefs of armies, 59 chiefs of air forces, 24 chiefs of navies, and 3 surgeon generals, from Algeria to Zimbabwe.
Apart from the solid delegation numbers, many exhibitors were happy with the attendance of senior South African government representatives. These included Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, who not only opened the show but spent time interacting with exhibitors, as well as President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited on the second day of the show and engaged extensively with exhibitors and international delegates during an in-depth tour of the event.
General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the South African National Defence Force, and other senior military leaders were also in attendance, including SA Air Force Chief Wiseman Mbambo, who presided over an airpower conference the day before trade started.
In addition to official delegations, there were nine national pavilions, 390 members of the media accredited, 77 aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles present, 22 970 trade visitors from 33 countries, 37 007 general public visitors, and 11 000 Youth Development Programme participants. Public visitors would have been higher had unusually cold weather not put a damper on the two air show days.
In terms of feedback, 79% of exhibitors were satisfied with their participation at AAD 2024, with 67% declaring their business interests met, and 75% indicating they would take part in AAD again, the organisers said.
A new addition, and a major highlight of AAD 2024, were the conferences held on the trade days of 18 – 20 September. Organised by defenceWeb, these saw 44 high-level speakers sharing their expertise and insight on topics ranging from future warfare to maritime security and the outlook for the defence industry.
“As the sixth largest aerospace and defence exhibition in the world, the AAD continues to hold flagship status as an international trade exhibition and air show, not only in South Africa but indeed in the world’s aerospace and
defence industry,” Motshekga said.
AAD has seen a decline in visitor and exhibitor numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic, and faces pressure from growing competition from events like Edex, Idex, the World Defence Show, and Egypt International Air Show, but it nevertheless remains one of the leading defence shows in Africa and the premier such event in sub-Saharan Africa.
The next edition of AAD is scheduled for 16-20 September 2026.
