Hostex

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Stand Sales: Revenue generated from selling exhibition stand space to suppliers, manufacturers, and brands in the food, drink, and hospitality sector
2. Sponsorship Packages: Premium branding opportunities including entrance arches, digital screens, registration area branding, VIP lounges, networking zones, sponsored seminars, and demo areas
3. Media Partnership: Partnership arrangements with media organizations for coverage and promotional support
4. Post-Show Reports: Sales of post-show data reports containing event statistics, attendee insights, and industry trends

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Montgomery Group AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Parent 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)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial sponsor creating the FNB Slow Lounge at the exhibition and supporting visitor experiences. Part of industry-leading sponsorship program.
• SA Chefs AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Coffee Championships area delivering Gauteng Regional Barista Championships, national Latte Art and Cupping Championships aligned to international competition timelines.
• Unilever Food SolutionsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of visitor registration and supporter of the 40th anniversary celebration. Long-term partner committed to the Hostex journey.
• BidfoodmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Industry Hub - the go-to space for seminars, thought leadership, industry insights, and business networking.
• TorkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Industry Hub theatre where 17 free seminar topics are presented by thought leaders.
• FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partner collaborating on beverage masterclasses and industry content.
• Proudly South AfricanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the expanded Beverage Hub and masterclass programme focusing on local products and trends.
• Liquid ConceptsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Beverage Hub delivering drink concepts, recipes, and applications. Also celebrating 20 years of exhibiting at Hostex.
• Hospitality MarketplacemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Media Partner providing coverage and support for Hostex 2026 as long-standing media collaborators.
• New MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatalogue Partner providing promotional support and catalogue services.
• Coffee MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner bringing Cupping Experience to the Coffee Championships area.
• Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting and bringing additional exhibitors to the SME Pavilion beyond the LEDA group.
• BCE Foodservice EquipmentmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/hostex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hostex-sa
• Instagraminstagram.com/hostexsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hostex