Hostex
Hostex is a biennial trade exhibition for Africa's food, drink, and hospitality industry, organised by Montgomery Group Africa at Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre, connecting 250+ exhibitors with hospitality buyers across 25+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hostex does
Hostex is a biennial trade exhibition serving the food, drink, and hospitality industry across Africa, organised by Montgomery Group Africa (a division of the UK-based Montgomery Group). Held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, the show connects hospitality operators, F&B suppliers, equipment vendors, technology providers, and contract furnishers with buyers from across Southern Africa and international markets. Since its 1986 launch (originally as Caterex), Hostex has grown into a 40-year-old flagship African hospitality event, with 250+ exhibitors and 6,800+ visitors per edition spanning 25+ visiting countries.
The event is structured around six dedicated industry districts — Equipment Africa, Food & Drink Africa, Tea & Coffee Africa, Contract Furnishings Africa, Technology Africa, and Sustainability Africa — augmented by feature areas including the SA Chefs Village (in partnership with SA Chefs Association), the SCASA Coffee Championships, the Bidfood Industry Hub, the SME Pavilion, Country Pavilions, and a new Beverage Hub. Its underlying technology stack is conventional event infrastructure: a registration website, online stand booking, digital sponsorship inventory, email marketing, and social media campaigns delivering 678k reach across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. No proprietary software platform or AI/ML capability is disclosed.
Hostex monetises through three primary streams: (1) exhibition stand sales to suppliers, manufacturers, and brands (unit-priced, multi-year contracts); (2) premium sponsorship packages covering entrance branding, digital screens, VIP lounges, and thought-leadership slots; and (3) media partnerships and post-show data reports. Trade visitor attendance is free, with visitor profile data showing 74% make or influence purchasing decisions. Customer concentration leans on a small set of recurring enterprise sponsors — FNB, Unilever Food Solutions, Bidfood, Tork, and BCE Foodservice Equipment — alongside a long tail of 250+ exhibitors across each edition.
Hostex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hostex
- Legal name
- Angus Montgomery Limited
- Website
- https://hostex.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hostex is a biennial trade exhibition for Africa's food, drink, and hospitality industry, organised by Montgomery Group Africa at Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre, connecting 250+ exhibitors with hospitality buyers across 25+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Hostex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hostex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Exhibition Stand Sales: Revenue generated from selling exhibition stand space to suppliers, manufacturers, and brands in the food, drink, and hospitality sector
- Sponsorship Packages: Premium branding opportunities including entrance arches, digital screens, registration area branding, VIP lounges, networking zones, sponsored seminars, and demo areas
- Media Partnership: Partnership arrangements with media organizations for coverage and promotional support
- Post-Show Reports: Sales of post-show data reports containing event statistics, attendee insights, and industry trends
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Exhibition Stand Space |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Sponsorship Packages |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Trade Visitor Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hostex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hostex is a biennial trade exhibition (Africa's Food, Drink & Hospitality Expo) held at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It organizes and operates the event, selling exhibition stand space, sponsorship packages, and media partnership opportunities to suppliers, manufacturers, and brands serving the hospitality, food, and beverage industry. The show features six dedicated industry districts and supplementary content zones including the SA Chefs Village, Coffee Championships, Bidfood Industry Hub, SME Pavilion, and Country Pavilions.
Product overview
Hostex is Africa's Food, Drink & Hospitality Expo — a biennial trade-only exhibition held at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event serves as a unified platform for the hospitality, food, and beverage industry, combining the core exhibition with multiple specialized zones (Equipment Africa, Food & Drink Africa, Tea & Coffee Africa, Contract Furnishings Africa, Technology Africa, Sustainability Africa) and featured areas including the SA Chefs Village, Coffee Championships, Bidfood Industry Hub, SME Pavilion, Country Pavilions, and Beverage Hub. Supporting services include exhibitor stand booking, sponsorship packages, visitor registration, post-show reports, and a media partnership programme. Hostex 2026 marks the show's 40th anniversary.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hostex Exhibition (Africa's Food, Drink & Hospitality Expo) Biennial trade-only exhibition held at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, connecting hospitality professionals, suppliers, and buyers across the African continent. The 2026 edition (40th anniversary) ran 8-10 March 2026 and the 2028 edition is scheduled 12-14 March 2028.
- Exhibitor Stand Booking
Quantifiable outcome
- 74% of visitors make or influence purchasing decisions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hostex
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hostex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Hostex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Montgomery Group AfricacoreParent organization and flagship event producer. Montgomery Group Africa unites Montgomery Group's divisions across Africa, backed by 130-year heritage since 1968, delivering influential exhibitions across Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa.
- FNB (First National Bank)majorFinancial sponsor creating the FNB Slow Lounge at the exhibition and supporting visitor experiences. Part of industry-leading sponsorship program.
- SA Chefs AssociationcoreLong-standing exclusive partner since early 1990s delivering the SA Chefs Culinary Village with competitions, demonstrations, and industry showcases.
- Speciality Coffee Association of Southern Africa (SCASA)corePartnership for Coffee Championships area delivering Gauteng Regional Barista Championships, national Latte Art and Cupping Championships aligned to international competition timelines.
- Unilever Food SolutionsmajorSponsor of visitor registration and supporter of the 40th anniversary celebration. Long-term partner committed to the Hostex journey.
- BidfoodmajorSponsor of the Industry Hub - the go-to space for seminars, thought leadership, industry insights, and business networking.
- TorkmajorSponsor of the Industry Hub theatre where 17 free seminar topics are presented by thought leaders.
- FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa)coreIndustry association partner collaborating on beverage masterclasses and industry content.
- Proudly South AfricanmajorPartner in the expanded Beverage Hub and masterclass programme focusing on local products and trends.
- Liquid ConceptsmajorPartner in Beverage Hub delivering drink concepts, recipes, and applications. Also celebrating 20 years of exhibiting at Hostex.
- Hospitality MarketplacemajorOfficial Media Partner providing coverage and support for Hostex 2026 as long-standing media collaborators.
- New MediaminorCatalogue Partner providing promotional support and catalogue services.
- Coffee MagazineminorMedia partner bringing Cupping Experience to the Coffee Championships area.
- Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA)majorPartner hosting 15 high-potential SMEs in the SME Pavilion, providing emerging businesses access to Hostex's buyer base.
- Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)majorGovernment partner supporting and bringing additional exhibitors to the SME Pavilion beyond the LEDA group.
- BCE Foodservice EquipmentmajorSponsor of the BCE Premier Lounge hosting VIP visitors and media for meetings, interviews, and high-level networking.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hostex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sirha Lyon: Major hospitality and foodservice trade show held biennially in Lyon, France, organized by GL Events. Directly comparable in hospitality/foodservice focus and biennial format, with strong international exhibitor base and culinary competitions component.
- FHA-Food & Beverage (Singapore): Major Asian food and beverage trade exhibition held biennially in Singapore. Comparable in food and beverage trade exhibition structure and international exhibitor model, with longer history in the Asian market.
- SIAL (Salon International de l'Alimentation): Major global food exhibition held biennially in Paris covering food products, beverages, and related services. Comparable in food and beverage trade exhibition model with international exhibitor base, though broader in scope than Hostex's hospitality focus.
- ProWein: Leading international wine and spirits trade fair held annually in Düsseldorf. Comparable as a trade exhibition in the broader beverage/hospitality vertical, with overlapping exhibitor categories (beverage suppliers) and similar buyer-focused trade-only format.
- HostMilano: Biennial international hospitality trade fair held in Milan covering food service, coffee, retail, and hotel industries. Comparable to Hostex in audience and biennial cadence but globally focused, serving as benchmark for international hospitality trade exhibition economics.
Regional players
- Africa's Travel Indaba: Major African tourism trade show held annually in Durban, South Africa. Overlaps with Hostex in the broader hospitality vertical and in targeting African hospitality buyers, though focused on tourism and travel distribution rather than food service supply.
- The Hotel Show (Dubai): Annual hospitality trade exhibition serving the Middle East and Africa region. Targets similar hospitality buyer segments (hotels, restaurants, catering) but operates in a different geography, providing regional competition for international exhibitors considering Africa vs. Middle East events.
- GulfHost: Hospitality trade show held in Dubai serving the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia region. Comparable to Hostex in covering foodservice equipment, hospitality technology, and bakery/pastry segments, though focused on different primary geographic buyer base.
Direct peers
- Food & Hospitality Africa (F&HA): Former co-located event with Hostex from 2016-2018, organized by the same industry participants and targeting the same African food, drink, and hospitality buyer base. Direct competitor previously sharing venue with Hostex that has now been reintegrated.
Emerging players
- Speciality Coffee Expo: Leading coffee industry trade show organized by the Specialty Coffee Association. Overlaps with Hostex's Coffee Championships and Tea & Coffee Africa zone, attracting similar barista and coffee professional audiences and competing for coffee exhibitor budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hostex social profiles
Digital presenceHostex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hostex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Hostex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hostex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hostex
What does Hostex do?
Hostex is a biennial trade exhibition (Africa's Food, Drink & Hospitality Expo) held at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It organizes and operates the event, selling exhibition stand space, sponsorship packages, and media partnership opportunities to suppliers, manufacturers, and brands serving the hospitality, food, and beverage industry. The show features six dedicated industry districts and supplementary content zones including the SA Chefs Village, Coffee Championships, Bidfood Industry Hub, SME Pavilion, and Country Pavilions.
Is Hostex a public or private company?
Hostex is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hostex founded?
Hostex was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hostex based?
Hostex is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Hostex make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Exhibition Stand Sales are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship Packages, media Partnership and post-Show Reports.
Who are Hostex's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sirha Lyon, FHA-Food & Beverage (Singapore), SIAL (Salon International de l'Alimentation), ProWein and HostMilano. Regional players are Africa's Travel Indaba, The Hotel Show (Dubai) and GulfHost. Food & Hospitality Africa (F&HA) is listed as a direct peer. Speciality Coffee Expo is listed as an emerging player.
Does Hostex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hostex.