Three vetted trade days for defence delegations and industry, then two public air show days, on a working air force base outside Pretoria.
A biennial aerospace and defence exhibition and air show held at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Centurion, in the City of Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa. The organisers describe it as Africa's only aerospace and defence expo. It covers air, land and sea equipment and military technology: aircraft and unmanned systems in hangars and a static park, combat vehicles on a mobility track, naval, security and space capabilities. The 2026 edition is the 13th, as reported by Gauteng Tourism and Military Africa (media partner), and runs three trade days for vetted professionals followed by two public air show days, with a three-day conference organised by defenceWeb (media partner).
16 to 20 September 2026. AFB Waterkloof, Centurion, City of Tshwane, South Africa, on Solomon Mahlangu Drive. The trade days are 16 to 18 September 2026, 09:00 to 16:00 according to the registration platform, for pre-registered and security-cleared trade visitors only. The public air show days are Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, gates from 06:00 and programme from 08:00 to 17:00. 2026 is a show year: AAD runs in even-numbered years, and the previous edition ran from 18 to 22 September 2024. The trade visitor FAQ on the official site still shows 2024 opening hours; the registration platform's times are the ones given here.
The official site states that AAD is managed through a partnership between the Department of Defence and Military Veterans (DOD), the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor), the South African Aerospace Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD) and the Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa (CAASA). Its partners page words it slightly differently, as a partnership between AMD, Armscor and CAASA, with the South African Department of Defence, whose air force base hosts the show, and the City of Tshwane listed as partners beside them. Supporting institutions named on the site are the Border Management Authority, the Government Communication and Information System, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the South African Police Service, the State Security Agency and the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Service. defenceWeb (media partner) reported in October 2024 that CAASA would be lead partner for 2026; the official site does not name a lead partner. The exhibition director quoted in 2024 and 2026 is Nakedi Phasha, and the published operations contact is Magda Cloete.
Two separate crowds, with 60,000+ visitors expected for 2026 according to exhibition director Nakedi Phasha, quoted by SAnews in June 2026. On the trade days, invited professional and business visitors from armed forces, government departments, procurement organisations, defence contractors, operators and research establishments, plus official foreign delegations. On the weekend, the general public. The organiser's 2024 figures were 22,970 trade visitors from 33 countries, 37,007 public visitors, 86 official delegations from 33 countries, 390 accredited media and 11,000 learners reached by the Youth Development Programme. For 2026, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans' readiness briefing of 1 September, as reported by Gauteng Tourism, gave expectations of around 30,000 trade visitors and delegations from more than 50 countries, naming South Africa, the United States, Russia, Turkey, Ghana and Brazil among participating nations.
The conference site publishes two confirmed keynotes: General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the South African National Defence Force, on Day 2 (17 September), and Lieutenant General Carl Moatshe, Chief of the South African Air Force, on Day 3 (18 September). The site states that further speakers are to be announced, and no fuller roster was published on 10 September 2026.
Scale targets, unmanned systems and space. The organisers expect more than 300 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, against 259 exhibitors from 30 countries in 2024, and say more than 200 official delegations have been invited (SAnews, June 2026). The Chief of the Air Force is quoted by Military Africa (media partner) as saying unmanned systems will feature more prominently than ever, with large and small platforms in static and flying displays; AAD 2022 was the first edition cleared to fly unmanned aircraft during the air show. SAnews reports a dedicated space hub, and a South African space pavilion is planned with the national space agency. The Cabinet-approved theme is "Africa's Gateway to Defence and Aerospace Collaboration". Organiser press releases announce the African debut of the Dornier 228 NXT, a dual-use technology case study from SADG, and small businesses taking exhibition space through Armscor's enterprise and supplier development programme. Denel exhibits for the first time with the Department of Defence as its shareholder (SAnews, 10 September 2026).
From 16 to 18 September 2026, the trade exhibition runs across 54,000 square metres with seven hangars, national pavilions, a static aircraft park, a chalet line and an outdoor mobility track for live vehicle demonstrations. The conference runs on the same three days: Day 1 on the future of warfare (artificial intelligence, drones, cyber and space capabilities), Day 2 on the African defence industry (manufacturing, funding, exports), Day 3 on commercial and military aviation (maintenance and overhaul, unmanned systems, sustainability). On 19 and 20 September 2026, the public programme carries the flying display, parachute drops, aerobatics and mobility track demonstrations, with different flying on Saturday and Sunday. The detailed air show programme was marked "coming soon" on the official site on 10 September 2026.
An exhibition first: indoor and outdoor stands, static aircraft, live land vehicle demonstrations and a flying display. Talks sit in the separately registered conference, which runs presentations and panel discussions opened by an official ceremony. On the public days, the Youth Development Programme runs hands-on activities: plastic model building, virtual aviation and simulators, target shooting, first aid and crime scene investigation, and a Kid Zone is sold as a paid add-on.
Two. The AAD 2026 Conference, organised by defenceWeb (media partner) on 16 to 18 September at the base, with separate paid registration. The third SA Air and Space Power Symposium, run by the South African National Defence Force with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the South African National Space Agency on 15 September 2026, the day before the show opens, under the theme "Inclusive and sustainable air and space power" (defenceWeb (media partner), 8 September 2026); the official site lists a Space Symposium under its conference menu. No receptions or other satellite events are published.
There are three separate access routes. Public air show tickets, sold per day through Ticketpro with a separate ticket for Saturday and for Sunday: R270 adults and R130 children and pensioners in advance, R300 adults and R140 children and pensioners at the gate. Ticketpro also states that children under 12 enter free, the Kid Zone costs R140 on top of entry, and pass-outs are not allowed. Trade access for 16 to 18 September is by online pre-registration through Tixsa, with security clearance and no registration on the day; no trade visitor fee is published. Conference passes: R2,850 excluding VAT for all three days, R1,550 excluding VAT for a single day, both including exhibition access and lunch; staff of Armscor, AMD, CAASA and the Department of Defence can get discount codes. These rates are published for registrations from 8 August to 9 September 2026, after an early bird period that ended on 31 July, and the page does not say what applies after 9 September; every conference registration is confirmed only after security clearance. Exhibition space, sponsorship and advertising rates are in downloadable brochures in rand and US dollars rather than on the web pages.
Through the conference call for papers, run by defenceWeb (media partner), not by the exhibition office. For 2026, proposals from end users, academics and subject-matter experts were due by 2 April 2026 to conference organiser Ros Hinchcliffe (ros@defenceweb.co.za, media partner), with preference given to end-user and academic submissions. The call is closed; the next one should be expected early in 2028 for the next edition, if the biennial pattern holds. Speaker fees and travel are not addressed.
Exhibitors register through the exhibitor portal linked from the official site; site layouts for the hangars, static park and chalet line are published on the venue page. Exhibition and sponsorship enquiries go to Magda Cloete at ops@aadexpo.co.za. Sponsorship and advertising brochures are published in rand and US dollar versions. Conference sponsorship is sold separately by defenceWeb (media partner), through Robert Mace (robert@defenceweb.co.za, media partner). Small South African suppliers have a subsidised route: Armscor's enterprise and supplier development programme secured exhibition space for small businesses in 2026.
The show's sponsors page names one sponsor, Milkor, without a tier. On the conference side, organiser press releases announce Milkor as Diamond Sponsor of the AAD 2026 Conference and HENSOLDT South Africa as a conference sponsor. The media partners page lists: defenceWeb (media partner) as official show daily print partner; Creative Space (media partner) for the official catalogue; official media partners Aeromag Asia (media partner), Africa Mining and Engineering Review (media partner), African Pilot (media partner), African Security (media partner), Air and Space Shows International Magazine (media partner), Armada International (media partner), Asian Military Review (media partner), Defence Circle (media partner), Defence Fulcrum (media partner), defenceWeb (media partner), Defensehere (media partner), Global Aviator (media partner), International Air Affairs (media partner), International Defence Analysis (media partner), Military Africa (media partner), Progressive Talk Radio (media partner) and World Airnews (media partner); Aviation Central (media partner) as social media partner; and The Drone TV (media partner) as content creation partner.
No breakdown by country or company type is published, so no majority can be shown. The organisers expect more than 300 exhibitors for 2026. The mix visible in published material is South African state and private defence industry (Denel, Milkor, SADG, small suppliers entering through Armscor's programme), international prime contractors, national pavilions (nine in 2024) and aircraft operators (77 civilian aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles on display in 2024). Exhibitors named for 2026 by Flightline Weekly include Airbus, Embraer, Leonardo, Saab, Rheinmetall, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Electronics, General Atomics Aerotec Systems, L3Harris, MBDA, Safran, ST Engineering and Pratt and Whitney Canada. Denel shows the T5-52 and Badger land systems, the Rooivalk attack helicopter, missiles, unmanned systems and ammunition (SAnews).
Through the media registration form on Tixsa, linked from the official site. The form asks for an RSA identity number or passport details, nationality and country of residence, a passport copy, a passport-style photograph taken within the last six months on a plain light background, and a criminal record declaration; the official site subjects trade visitor names to security clearance, and the media form carries the same screening questions. No accreditation fee, deadline or approval time is published, so apply well ahead of 16 September. Press enquiries go to Magda Cloete at ops@aadexpo.co.za, or to the office at admin@aadexpo.co.za and +27 84 840 3214. The media section carries a 2026 press kit, press releases, the official show daily and the exhibition catalogue, and the venue has a dedicated media centre.
For 2026, most coverage before the show comes from media partners and government outlets. defenceWeb (media partner) runs the conference announcements, from the February call for papers to the keynote releases. Military Africa (media partner) covered the unmanned systems focus in July 2026, and African Pilot (media partner) ran a preview of the 2026 exhibition. SAnews, the government news agency, reported the organisers' targets in June 2026 and Denel's plans on 10 September 2026. Gauteng Tourism's What's On G reported the Minister's readiness briefing on 3 September 2026, and joburg.co.za published a public visitor guide on 24 August 2026. Flightline Weekly, not on the partner list, published a preview in September 2026. The close of the 2024 edition was reported by Africanews.
Weak as independent evidence for 2026. Placed coverage: defenceWeb (media partner) is an official media partner, prints the show daily and organises the conference, so its reporting is part of the event's own output; Military Africa (media partner), African Pilot (media partner) and World Airnews (media partner) are on the partner list. Government communication: SAnews is published by the Government Communication and Information System, which is itself a supporting institution of AAD, and Gauteng Tourism is a provincial promotion body. Independent but promotional: Flightline Weekly and joburg.co.za repeat organiser figures without checking them. Organiser-claimed: the press releases and the show statistics on the official site. Genuinely independent reporting on the 2026 edition was not found before the show.
Because the show is two events sharing one air force base. The trade days admit only invited professionals aged 18 or over, pre-registered, security-cleared and in business or service dress, which is what lets official delegations, 86 of them in 2024 by the organiser's count, meet suppliers on a military site. The weekend sells R270 advance tickets to families and drew more people in 2024, 37,007 against 22,970 trade visitors. A buyer who books a Saturday will find crowds watching aerobatics and no delegations, and a spectator cannot buy a way into Wednesday.
Because every number is the organiser's or the government's, and they do not agree. For 2024 the official site shows 37,007 public visitors, while defenceWeb (media partner), quoting the organisers, reported more than 35,000 tickets sold and more than 32,000 visitors through the turnstiles over the weekend; the site counts 86 delegations from 33 countries, the same outlet's anniversary piece more than 36 countries. For 2026 the promises differ by source: 60,000+ visitors and more than 40 exhibiting countries in June, 30,000 trade and 80,000 public visitors in a 2025 defenceWeb (media partner) piece, delegations from more than 50 countries in the Minister's September briefing. The site's own "more than 450 participating companies" and "top six exhibitions in the world" sit beside 259 exhibitors in 2024. None of it is audited, and the 2026 result will only be known after 20 September.
Because the state is on every side of the stand. The Department of Defence hosts the show and co-manages it with Armscor, its procurement agency; Denel comes for the first time with the Department of Defence as shareholder; Armscor's supplier development programme secures floor space for small businesses; the Chief of the National Defence Force gives the keynote on the day devoted to the African defence industry; and the Cabinet approved the theme. Foreign primes from Airbus to Hindustan Aeronautics fill the hangars, but the programme is built so that South African capability, from the Rooivalk helicopter to Denel's T5-52 and Badger land systems, is what delegations see first.
Anyone under 18 who wants the trade halls: they are not admitted on the trade days. Buyers who can only come at the weekend, since delegations and trade meetings belong to 16 to 18 September. Visitors who cannot supply an identity document and clear security, or who leave registration to the day, as there is no on-site registration. Speakers hoping for a 2026 slot, since the call for papers closed on 2 April 2026. Conference delegates who might cancel: cancellations within 14 days of the event are not refunded.
It is the only major aerospace and defence exhibition with an air show on the African continent, by the Department of Defence's own description, held in September of even years. The organisers market it on the Gulf circuit: an AAD delegation presented its state of readiness for 2026 at IDEX and NAVDEX in the United Arab Emirates in February 2025. It also links to North Africa's air show season, with the Dornier 228 NXT flying from Egypt's El Alamein Airshow to AAD 2026. Events Index tracks it in the defence vertical, where it is the African reference point.
No. AAD is a single biennial event. It was held at Air Force Base Ysterplaat in Cape Town from 2006 and has been at Waterkloof since 2012. Its roots are two 1975 events: Aviation Africa, started by World Airnews (media partner) at Lanseria Airport near Johannesburg, and the South African Air Force open day at Waterkloof that became the Defence Exhibition of South Africa; they merged as AAD in 2000. The 2020 edition was postponed, the organiser's press archive records the cancellation in January 2021 of a separate Aerospace and Defence Space Trade Show, and the show resumed in 2022.
English. The official site, registration forms, conference programme and press materials are published in English only.
Not publicly disclosed. No livestream, virtual pass or recording policy for the exhibition, the air show or the conference is published on the official site or the conference site.
It depends on the ticket. The Tixsa registration terms state that all sales are final and tickets are non-refundable. Conference registrations are refunded for cancellations received in writing at least 14 days before the event, cancellations within 14 days are charged in full, and delegate substitutions are free until the conference starts; cancellations go to nonthuthuko@defenceweb.co.za (media partner). The Ticketpro air show pages publish no refund terms, and no exhibitor cancellation terms are published on the web pages.
Partly documented. On the public days there is wheelchair parking at Gate 5, registered guide dogs are the only animals admitted, medics are on site throughout, and a Lost Children Centre operates. Nothing is published on accessible toilets, step-free routes between hangars, seating, sign language, or a contact for access requests; personal mobility devices appear on the Ticketpro prohibited list for the Saturday, which wheelchair users should query in advance with admin@aadexpo.co.za.
AFB Waterkloof, Centurion, City of Tshwane, South Africa, on Solomon Mahlangu Drive. The official venue page gives driving routes from OR Tambo International Airport (R21 towards Pretoria, then the M31 towards Centurion and Van Ryneveld Avenue) and from Midrand (N1 north, exit towards the M10), and publishes a road closures map for show days. Parking is free. On public days, limited Tshwane Bus and Gautrain bus services run from Centurion Railway Station to the base in the morning and back in the afternoon; allow time for traffic, security checks and the walk from the car parks. Seven partner hotels listed on the official site offer rates with the code #AAD2026: Anew Hotels, CT Hotels, Irene Country Hotel, Kleinkaap Boutique Hotel, Protea Hotel Fire and Ice Pretoria Menlyn, Tayfin Royale Hotel and Tuishuis Lodge. Public visitors may bring picnic baskets, camping chairs and sunscreen, but not alcohol, glass, drones, radio transmitters, umbrellas, gazebos or pets; trade visitors may not bring air band receivers, scanners, lasers, drones or cooler boxes.
Official site: aadexpo.co.za, with venue information at aadexpo.co.za/venue-information, the public FAQ at aadexpo.co.za/public-visitors/faq, press releases and the press kit in the media section, and media partners at aadexpo.co.za/partners/media-partners. Trade visitor registration: aad.events.tixsa.co.za/visitors. Media registration: aad.events.tixsa.co.za/media. Air show tickets: Ticketpro, one page per day. Conference: aadconf.aadexpo.co.za. General enquiries: admin@aadexpo.co.za and +27 84 840 3214 (office administrator Thando Sithole). Social accounts are published under aadexpo on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.