The Rand Show, previously known as the Rand Easter Show, is an annual
show held in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
, South Africa, and is the largest
consumer exhibition in Southern Africa. It has been an important event in the city for many years, attracting in excess of 400,000 visitors in 2007.
It was also called the ''Grand Rand Show'', when it was held a few weeks outside of Easter in the late 1980s .
There were no shows in 2020-21 due to COVID-19 restrictions on major events. The next event is scheduled for 6 to 10 April 2023. Besides the Great Boer War, other cancellations occurred in 1915-18 & 1940-45.
History
The show was first held at the
Old Wanderers
Old Wanderers was a cricket ground in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ground hosted 22 Test matches from 1895 to 1939, before being rebuilt as Johannesburg's Park Station in 1946. It has since been replaced by the New Wanderers Stadium.
Histo ...
cricket ground in November 1894 by the
Witwatersrand Agricultural Society, a society that had formed in March of the same year.
The second show was opened by
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South African Republic, South Africa, and President of the So ...
on 13 March 1895, at a venue called ''Milner Park'', which is today the site of the
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( or ). The university ...
's West Campus.
[ ]Anglo Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...
, in 1907. In 1936, the Rand Show was called the Empire Exhibition.[
The eleven-day show was historically an agricultural exhibition for all South Africans where livestock, poultry, yearlings, farm products and equipment were shown and judged with prizes awarded in the form of Gold and Silver medals.][ In later years it also featured industrial and commercial exhibitions and would eventually attract foreign participants who would exhibit country pavilions.][ Other annual exhibitors included ]Military Tattoo
A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ''doe den tap toe'' ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeeper ...
s, the South African Defence Force
The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...
, the South African Police
The South African Police (SAP) was the national police force and law enforcement agency in South Africa from 1913 to 1994; it was the ''de facto'' police force in the territory of South West Africa (Namibia) from 1939 to 1981. After South Af ...
as well as show-jumping
Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ...
competitions.[ The 1960 show was the site of a failed assassination attempt on ]Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Hendrik Verwoerd
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (; 8 September 1901 – 6 September 1966) was a South African politician, a scholar of applied psychology and sociology, and chief editor of '' Die Transvaler'' newspaper. He is commonly regarded as the architect ...
, by white farmer David Pratt
Venue after 1984
It continued to be held at Milner Park until 1984, when it was moved to the Expo Centre at Nasrec
Nasrec is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.
The name "Nasrec" is an abbreviation for "National Recreation Center". Nasrec is the last station on its branch lin ...
,[Expo Centre buys back Rand Show](_blank)
''eprop''
In 2009, the Rand Show was to have moved to Gallagher Estate, with a separate ''Joburg Easter Festival'' being held at the Nasrec Expo Centre, however, the Expo Centre bought the Rand Show brand back from Kagiso, and the Rand Show was held, as normal, at Nasrec, as the ''Joburg Easter Festival, incorporating the Rand Show''.
In 2009, the show, branded as the ''Rand Show'' and subtitled ''Joburg's Easter Festival
was again held at Nasrec, and the 2011 Rand Show scheduled to take place from 22 April to 2 May 2011.SANDF
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Ministe ...
.
Merchandise
According to its website, the Rand Show offers products in one of its six categories: "Sports Expo, Kids Expo, Lifestyle Expo, Science & Tech Expo, Showcase SA and Outdoor Lifestyle Expo".
References
External links
*
{{Greater Johannesburg, culture
Tourist attractions in Johannesburg
Easter traditions
Festivals in Johannesburg