Defence events in South Africa

AAD is the only aerospace and defence exhibition on the African continent, making it the principal venue for OEMs, primes, and SMEs seeking to reach African military procurement officers, Defence Chiefs of Arms, and government delegations across more than 30 countries in a single show. For exporters and startups entering African markets, AAD offers direct access to senior decision-makers that no other continental event replicates. The South African government's National Event designation and Armscor's lead-partner role ensure high-level institutional backing and a buyer-rich environment for deal-making.

As Africa's largest integrated security and safety trade platform, Securex South Africa is the primary annual procurement and sourcing event for the continent's protection sector, attracting buyers with active purchasing mandates across security, OHS, facilities and fire. For defence-adjacent suppliers — particularly in physical security, surveillance, access control, cyber, and critical-infrastructure protection — it offers direct access to a concentrated pool of African end-users, system integrators, and distributors in a single venue. The free visitor model and cross-sector co-location maximise buyer footfall and deal-making density relative to cost of participation.

As African civil aviation authorities accelerate BVLOS and autonomous aviation rulemaking, this summit is one of the few dedicated forums where suppliers can engage directly with regulators and end-users shaping procurement decisions across the continent. For SMEs and startups, it offers early-mover access to a rapidly growing African UAS market spanning agriculture, mining, logistics, and security. The intimate scale and practitioner-focused agenda make it a high-signal environment for business development and partnership formation in sub-Saharan Africa.