The mayor of the Makhado local municipality, Shonisani Sinyosi, has appealed to all residents in the region to support the annual show. During the opening of the Makhado show last Thursday, she again called on organisations to not organise events during the last weekend in July.
"We believe that Makhado belongs to all citizens who stay in Makhado, whether it be black, white or coloured. We are all residents of Makhado, so we must do one thing," she said. Mayor Sinyosi said that she would engage in more talks with those people who organised their own shows and competed with the Makhado Show.
The mayor said that the show had improved a lot this year and ascribed it to the fact that the municipality had once again taken the responsibility for organising it, like they did the year before. "We did not outsource the show to an external service provider. We had to make sure that we restore the pride of our people by organizing a vibrant show like we did last year. We are satisfied that we have achieved our goal of taking back the Makhado annual show to its former glory days," she said.
Sinyosi said up-and-coming entrepreneurs also had the opportunity to market their small businesses to the public during the annual show. "The show also provided an ideal platform for small businesses to network with government institutions, companies and other organizations that may consider appointing them as service providers," she said.
Some of the hawkers at the show complained about the high stall fees they had to pay. Some also felt that it could have been marketed better, but the consensus was that business was down, compared to previous years. "By coming to the show, we are generating an income, so I'm happy, but it is not as busy as previous years," one hawker remarked.