After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Bloem Show has again livened up the City of Roses and reawakened the public’s spirit of positivity.
This ten-day event will draw to an end on Saturday (07/05).
Patrons have expressed their delight at the renewed opportunities for trading, networking and entertainment.
Entrepreneurs have come from across South Africa – and even as far as Senegal – to continue efforts to rebuild their lives in the wake of the pandemic.
Senegal-born entrepreneur Moustapher Seck, trading with handcrafted leather products, expressed great relief at the show’s return.
“I certainly missed the event the past two years,” he says.
This is his 12th time selling his wares at Bloem Show.
“The show is an opportunity to rebuild our lives in every respect. It requires us to rebuild whatever was broken.”
Alifa Dil Hassain and Annad Talukder from Durban were among the first-time visitors at the show.
“It is good to be at an event of this magnitude after two years of missing human touch,” says Talukder.
According to Elmarie Prinsloo, chief executive officer of the show, the aim of the show this year is to reignite Bloem Show for exhibitors, agricultural breeders, service providers, roleplayers and community members.
“Bloem Show’s positive impact on the broader economy of Mangaung and the Free State will be far-reaching.”
By virtue of the latest regulations promulgated in terms of the Disaster Management Act, the showground has been certified to host 30 000 people.
“Upon entry, visitors are required to produce a valid Covid-19 vaccination certificate,” says Prinsloo.
“They also need to observe all health protocols, such as wearing a mask when indoors and maintaining a social distance of at least one metre.
“Although we respect the decision not to be vaccinated or undergo a Covid-19 test, we are, by law, not at liberty to allow anyone access to Bloem Show other than as set out in the aforementioned regulations. Unfortunately, we cannot place our entire event at risk.
“We trust that everybody will respect our decision to abide by the regulations.”
According to Prinsloo, the influx of visitors during the first week of this year’s edition surpassed the numbers in 2019 and 2018.
“By Sunday (01/05), just over 38 000 people had attended Bloem Show. Altogether 29 000 people visited the show over the same period in 2019, while 37 000 attended in 2018. In 2017, the first week of the show saw a total of 44 000 visitors,” she says.
“We are so thankful for the attendance so far, and for the amazing support shown to exhibitors and agricultural participants alike.”
