Thank you, Cape Town

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

When I first set out to bring the Cape Town Islamic Expo to life, I knew we were building something that didn't yet exist in this city. There was no blueprint to follow, no previous edition to measure ourselves against but only a belief that Cape Town's Muslim community, and the businesses that serve it, deserved a platform of real scale and substance.

Looking back, I can say without hesitation: this exceeded what I set out to achieve.

We welcomed over 7,000 visitors through the doors of CTICC over the course of the Expo, alongside more than 100 exhibitors representing everything from home-grown entrepreneurs to established brands. We were honoured to host 8 international speakers and exhibitors from 4 countries bringing a genuinely global perspective to a homegrown event. Cassam Looch brought his expertise as a travel journalist to our halal travel and tourism panel, Fehmz lit up the stage with live cooking demonstrations that became one of the most talked-about moments of the day and Dr Muhammad Esakji offered a thoughtful, expert lens on Islam and medicine that resonated deeply with our audience.

Alongside these, we hosted hands-on workshops in chocolate-making and Islamic calligraphy together, a programme built to speak to every part of our community from families to professionals to young people exploring their futures.

I won't pretend this came without its challenges. The Middle East crisis unfolding this year meant that some of our planned international exhibitors and speakers were simply unable to travel, and that loss was felt. It would have been easy to let that setback define the event. Instead the local exhibitors, speakers and community stepped up in a way that reminded me exactly why we chose to build this here, in Cape Town. The grit and spirit of this city carried the day which was proof that even when circumstances beyond our control work against you, this community shows up anyway. If anything, that resilience is part of what makes this event's first-year success feel even more meaningful.

What moved me most wasn't the numbers, though. It was the response. To be told by SAFIA's leadership that this stood as a remarkable achievement for a first effort meant more than I can express because that's exactly what we were chasing: not just an event, but a genuine, lasting contribution to this community. Hearing from our exhibitors that the day delivered real brand exposure and in some cases, opened doors to new business relationships, is the clearest measure of success I could ask for.

None of this would have been possible without the exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and visitors who took a chance on a first-time event with no track record but a clear vision. You are the reason this worked, and I'm deeply grateful to every one of you.

A few names however deserve a special mention. Standard Bank Shari'ah stood with us as our principal sponsor and that early vote of confidence gave this expo a credibility and momentum that shaped everything that followed. Mopani Safari Lodge was the very first to sign on and sponsor the event before we had a single other commitment to point to. This leap of faith is genuinely what kick-started this entire project, and I won't forget it. Qurtuba Resort and Spa believed in this vision from the earliest days as well, when it was still just an idea on paper, and that early trust meant the world. I'm also deeply grateful to Z Pet Foods for being part of this journey with us, to ZK Productions for bringing the concept in my head to life in a way I could never have managed alone. And to Cape Town Tourism and Invest Cape Town for lending their support and standing behind what we were building. Thank you, each of you, for seeing this before anyone else did.

I also want to recognise Capetonian Hotel, who hosted many of our international travellers and exhibitors and gave them a true taste of Cape Town hospitality throughout their stay. Their unwavering support as our hotel partner made it possible for guests arriving from abroad to feel genuinely welcomed, and that mattered enormously to the international character of this expo.

To our media partners, Voice of the Cape and Muslim Views a heartfelt thank you for believing this story was worth telling, and for amplifying it to audiences we could never have reached alone. Your coverage carried this event beyond the walls of CTICC and into homes and conversations across the community and that reach is a large part of why so many people walked through our doors.

Looking ahead to 2027, we're not interested in simply repeating what worked. We're building on it. We're growing our exhibitor capacity, deepening our international reach, expanding our programming and raising the bar on the experience for everyone who walks through our doors. If you exhibited or sponsored with us this year, you already know what this platform can do for your business and we can’t wait to have you back with an even bigger stage beneath you. And if you're considering joining us for the first time, know that you'd be stepping into an event that has already proven, in its very first year, that it belongs on the calendar.

Thank you to everyone involved for believing in this from day one and to the Almighty for his guidance. Here's to making 2027 even bigger Insha'Allah.

Khalid Dedat & The Cape Town Islamic Expo Team

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