Converting trade show exposure into actual revenue remains the ultimate goal for Mpumalanga’s small tourism enterprises, where the value of an expo lies strictly in signed contracts and new business leads.
That is beginning to happen for Aromatic, a home-fragrance business based outside Mbombela, after founder and CEO Zilungile Nisi used the Mpumalanga Tourism Expo to connect with potential hospitality clients.
The three-day expo, held at Riverside Mall from 25 to 27 September, attracted 64 exhibitors from Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and the Kingdom of Eswatini. It also brought 16 hosted buyers from the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Eswatini.
Expo generates business leads
Mnisi, who started Aromatic in 2024, said the expo was her first full three-day exhibition. “This was my first time exhibiting as a three-day exhibition. Usually, I just go for one day or a few hours, so having the full experience was very valuable,” she said.
Aromatic manufactures fragrances, linen sprays, candles, perfumes and other products, targeting guest houses, Airbnbs, lodges and hotels.
Mnisi said the expo generated potential leads, including a hospitality business interested in placing an order, to which she has submitted a proposal.
Conversations with tour operators also prompted Aromatic to explore personalised tourism gift packages containing products such as linen sprays, insect repellents, hand sanitiser and guest amenities. “We are not just going to focus on lodges and Airbnbs. Now we want to extend it to tour operators so that they give it to their clients as gifts,” Mnisi said.
The business is developing samples for a potential client in the Northwest.
Market access remains key
Expo founder Xolani Mthethwa said creating market access for small tourism businesses remains a central objective.
“For us, the main end product of the expo is market access. If a guesthouse from Bushbuckridge, for example, is not known and nobody knows that it exists, nobody will come to it. But if they are here at this expo, they can make connections, meet tour operators and speak to people looking for accommodation,” Mthethwa said.
The expo has grown from 18 exhibitors in 2021 to 64 this year and has expanded to include crafters and businesses selling traditional and cultural products.
MTPA Acting CEO Pamella Ntuli said the province was working to increase tourist numbers compared with the previous year.
For Aromatic, however, the immediate test is whether tourism growth translates into demand for locally produced goods. Its expo participation has already produced a potential order, hospitality leads and a new tourism gifting concept showing how market-access platforms can help SMMEs turn tourism activity into new revenue opportunities.
