The first Windhoek Show was held in 1899 when the country, then known as
German South-West Africa, was still a colony of
Imperial Germany. At that time, it was exclusively an agricultural exhibition. Subsequent fairs were held in 1902, 1910, 1913, and 1914. After the end of
World War I,
South-West Africa came under
South African administration which organised its first post-war Windhoek Show in 1930.{{cite book In 1934 the
Windhoek Show Grounds were laid out, an area between Windhoek's
city centre and the
Suiderhof suburb, next to today's
Maerua Mall. These show grounds were designed primarily to house the Windhoek Industrial and Agricultural Show but the next fair was only held in 1954, and one more show in 1964. A 1961 fair was scheduled but had to be canceled due to a
Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.{{cite web From 1966 onwards the Windhoek Show became an annual event. Further expansion attempts through splitting several smaller thematic shows from the main event did not become economically viable and were soon discontinued. ==References==