Published by Pilgram Group International (PGI) • PGI Foods
Our team recently spent three intensive days on the ground at the Cape Town Food Show 2026, one of the most important gatherings for the food and hospitality industry anywhere on the African continent. It was three days of discovery, connection, and forward planning, and we came away energized about what lies ahead for our customers in Zanzibar and across East Africa.
As one of the leading food suppliers in Zanzibar, PGI Foods didn’t attend simply to browse. We went to source. We went to build relationships with global suppliers, taste and evaluate premium products first-hand, and identify the exact additions that will raise the bar for the hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and households we serve across the island. In this post, we take you behind the scenes of the trip: what we saw, who we met, and what it means for the future of premium food distribution in Zanzibar.
What Is the Cape Town Food Show?
For anyone in the food and beverage trade, the Cape Town Food Show (officially The Africa Food Show, co-located with the Hotel & Hospitality Expo Africa) is the event of the year. Held from 10 to 12 June 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and organized by dmg events, it brings together suppliers and buyers from across sub-Saharan Africa under one roof.
The show is a curated showcase of everything that keeps professional kitchens and retail shelves running: meat and poultry, dairy, frozen and chilled products, fats and oils, grains and cereals, fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, and a full spectrum of beverages, alongside packaging, logistics, kitchen equipment, and retail technology. With more than 150 exhibitors and thousands of trade visitors, it is a procurement-led marketplace built for exactly the kind of sourcing PGI Foods does every day.
For a Zanzibar-based food distributor with ambitions to keep expanding its premium range, there is no better place to be. Every aisle is an opportunity, and every conversation is a potential new product for the East African market.
Why PGI Foods Attended the Cape Town Food Show
At PGI Foods, we are always looking ahead. We built this business on a simple promise: to bring premium quality, greater variety, and reliably sourced products to Zanzibar. Attending the Cape Town Food Show gave us the chance to deliver on all three at once.
There were three clear goals behind our trip.
1. Explore new premium products. The Zanzibar market is evolving fast. Tourism is booming, the hospitality sector is expanding, and both retail customers and households are demanding more choice and higher quality. We attended to find products that match that momentum, and to stay a step ahead of what the island will be asking for next.
2. Meet global suppliers face to face. In the food business, trust is everything. A screen and a spec sheet can only tell you so much. Meeting international suppliers in person, shaking hands, and understanding how they operate is how we make sure the partners behind our supply chain share our standards for quality and consistency.
3. Identify the right additions for Zanzibar. Not every product that shines at a trade show belongs on a Zanzibar shelf. Part of our job as experienced food suppliers in Zanzibar is knowing our market intimately: which cuts, brands, and categories will actually perform for the hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets we serve. Every tasting and every conversation was filtered through that local lens.
Every stop on the show floor was an opportunity to think about how we can bring greater variety and premium quality to the customers we serve across the island, from five-star resorts to neighbourhood supermarkets to family kitchens.
Meeting Global Suppliers, Building Local Value in Zanzibar
PGI Foods is a business built on premium halal products, from beef and chicken to cold cuts and French pastries. Reliable sourcing is not a nice-to-have for us; it is the heart of what we do. When a hotel kitchen in Stone Town orders from us, they are trusting that the product will arrive at the same quality, every single time. That trust is only possible when the sourcing behind it is rock solid.
Connecting directly with international suppliers at the Cape Town Food Show helps us maintain the quality and consistency our customers depend on. Just as importantly, it opens the door to fresh options that suit the evolving needs of Zanzibar’s hospitality and retail sectors.
This is where the real value of a show like this lives. It is not just about finding a new product; it is about finding the right supply chain behind that product. Direct relationships mean:
- Better quality control, because we understand our suppliers’ processes and standards.
- More consistent availability, so our customers are never left waiting on a key ingredient.
- Competitive value, because cutting out unnecessary middle layers keeps pricing fair for Zanzibar businesses.
- Faster access to new products, because we are plugged directly into what global producers are launching next.
For our customers, this translates into something very tangible: a food distributor in Zanzibar they can build their menus and their shelves around with total confidence.
What This Means for Zanzibar’s Hotels, Restaurants, and Supermarkets
Zanzibar’s economy runs, in large part, on hospitality. The island welcomes travellers from all over the world, and those travellers expect world-class dining. Behind every memorable meal at a beach resort, every well-stocked supermarket aisle, and every busy restaurant kitchen, there is a supply chain making it possible. PGI Foods is proud to be part of that chain.
Here is how our Cape Town Food Show sourcing directly benefits each of the customers we serve.
Hotels and Resorts
Luxury hotels and resorts in Zanzibar cater to international guests with discerning tastes. They need premium halal meat suppliers, dependable frozen and chilled products, and specialty items that let their chefs create standout menus. Our expanded range means resort kitchens can source more of what they need from a single trusted partner, with the quality and consistency that a five-star reputation demands.
Restaurants and Cafés
From fine dining to fast-casual, Zanzibar’s restaurants live and die by the quality of their ingredients. Whether it is premium beef and chicken, artisanal cold cuts for a charcuterie board, or French pastries that finish a meal in style, we are building a catalogue that helps restaurant owners deliver more without juggling a dozen different suppliers.
Supermarkets and Retailers
Retail customers want variety, quality, and value on the shelf. As a premium food distributor in Zanzibar, we help supermarkets stock products that move: premium proteins, imported specialties, and household favourites that keep customers coming back. The new products we are bringing back from Cape Town are chosen with retail demand firmly in mind.
Households
At the end of the day, food is personal. Families across Zanzibar want access to the same premium quality that hotels and restaurants enjoy. Everything we do at PGI Foods is ultimately about making sure that whether you run a hotel, a restaurant, a supermarket, or simply want the best for your household, premium quality is within reach right here on the island.
Premium Halal Products at the Heart of PGI Foods
One of the things that sets PGI Foods apart as a food supplier in Zanzibar is our focus on premium halal products. Halal integrity is not a checkbox for us; it is a core commitment woven into how we source, store, and deliver. For a market like Zanzibar, where halal standards matter deeply to customers, that commitment is non-negotiable.
Our growing range includes:
- Premium halal beef: quality cuts sourced for consistency and flavour, suitable for everything from resort steakhouses to home kitchens.
- Halal chicken and poultry: a dependable staple for restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets across the island.
- Cold cuts and deli meats: artisanal and premium options for charcuterie, sandwiches, and retail deli counters.
- French pastries and bakery items: an elevated finish for hospitality menus and a premium offering for retail.
- Frozen and chilled products: reliably sourced, cold-chain managed, and ready for both foodservice and retail demand.
Every product we add is chosen with the same discipline. Does it meet our quality standard? Does it serve a real need in the Zanzibar market? Can we source it reliably enough to promise our customers consistency? The Cape Town Food Show was the perfect proving ground for exactly those questions.
More Than a Visit: A Sourcing Strategy for East Africa
It would be easy to see a trade show as a single event on a calendar. For PGI Foods, the Cape Town Food Show was something bigger: another deliberate step in a long-term sourcing strategy for premium food distribution across East Africa.
Our goal is simple but ambitious. We want to make sure Zanzibar has access to the best food products, perishable and non-perishable alike, without having to look beyond its own doorstep. Too often, businesses on the island have had to compromise on quality, choice, or reliability because the right supply chains simply were not in place. We are determined to change that.
By continually attending the most important food and hospitality events on the continent, building direct relationships with global suppliers, and investing in the cold-chain and logistics that premium products demand, PGI Foods is steadily closing that gap. Cape Town was one chapter in that story. There will be many more.
This forward-looking approach is why PGI Foods has become a name that Zanzibar’s hospitality and retail sectors increasingly turn to. We do not just supply food; we bring the wider world’s best products to the island, backed by the local knowledge and reliability that only a committed regional partner can offer.
Exciting New Products Are On the Way
Here is the part our customers have been waiting for. We are already working on bringing the discoveries from Cape Town home to Zanzibar.
The tastings, the supplier conversations, the new categories we explored: all of it is now feeding directly into our product pipeline. In the coming weeks and months, you can expect exciting new additions to the PGI Foods range, premium products that expand what is possible for menus, shelves, and kitchens across the island.
So stay tuned. Whether you run a hotel, a restaurant, a supermarket, or simply want premium quality for your household, PGI Foods is committed to raising the bar for what is available in Zanzibar. This trip was more than a visit. It was a promise of even more value, variety, and quality on the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is PGI Foods?
PGI Foods is the food division of Pilgram Group International (PGI), a premium food supplier and distributor based in Zanzibar. We supply premium halal products, including beef, chicken, cold cuts, and French pastries, to hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and households across the island and the wider East Africa region.
What is the Cape Town Food Show?
The Cape Town Food Show, known officially as The Africa Food Show and co-located with the Hotel & Hospitality Expo Africa, is a major trade event held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. It brings together food and beverage suppliers and buyers from across sub-Saharan Africa to source products, discover new solutions, and build partnerships.
Why did PGI Foods attend the Cape Town Food Show 2026?
We attended to explore new premium products, meet global suppliers face to face, and identify the right additions for the Zanzibar market, all part of our ongoing strategy to bring greater variety and premium quality to our customers.
What products does PGI Foods supply in Zanzibar?
Our range centres on premium halal products, including premium beef, halal chicken and poultry, cold cuts and deli meats, French pastries and bakery items, and a range of frozen and chilled products for both foodservice and retail.
Who does PGI Foods supply?
We serve hotels and resorts, restaurants and cafés, supermarkets and retailers, and households across Zanzibar, anyone looking for reliable access to premium quality food products on the island.
How can I order from PGI Foods or become a customer?
Get in touch with our team through the PGI website or email us at info@pgi.global to discuss your sourcing needs. Whether you are a hospitality business, a retailer, or an individual, we would love to help you access premium quality.
Partner With PGI Foods
At PGI Foods, every trade show, every supplier relationship, and every new product comes back to one thing: delivering premium quality and dependable value to Zanzibar. The Cape Town Food Show 2026 was another step towards that goal, and there is a lot more to come.
Want to bring premium products to your hotel, restaurant, supermarket, or home? Get in touch with PGI Foods today and discover what world-class sourcing, delivered locally, can do for you.
