“You don’t build a legacy in comfort. You build it in the wind, the cold, and the courage to show up anyway.”
— Daryl Hardy, Co-founder of City Gates
KragDag 2025 will be remembered not just for its powerful message, but for the resilience of those who embraced it. Over three days, we lived through all four seasons — from crisp sunrises to icy winds and drenching rain. And yet, around 620 exhibitors and an astonishing 32 000 visitors braved the elements to gather in pursuit of a shared ideal: independence that lasts.
As a main sponsor, City Gates is proud to have stood alongside so many likeminded innovators, creators, builders, and change-makers. This year’s theme, “Build a Legacy”, resonated deeply with our own mission: to convert visibility into value, and infrastructure into opportunity.
A stage for meaningful voices
One of the standout moments of the expo was our participation in the Kopskuifateljee, a space that hosted thought-provoking discussions and courageous ideas throughout the week. Here, City Gates co-founder Daryl Hardy led a conversation that captured both heart and purpose.
In his interview with Michael Strange, Daryl unpacked the identity of City Gates — not as an advertising agency, but as a movement. A movement that believes every billboard can fund a future. That infrastructure can inspire dignity. That space, when unlocked, becomes potential.
But it wasn’t just about vision. It was also about results.
Daryl also welcomed Zondani Nkhoma and Precious Kapito to the stage — two individuals whose lives were transformed through the opportunities created on City Gates project sites. Both began with nothing more than a willingness to learn. Today, they are self-sustaining farmers, each running their own operations after learning their skills on City Gates developments. Their stories were raw, powerful, and deeply affirming.
The legacy we’re building
KragDag’s theme challenged us to think generationally — to build not just solutions, but systems. Not just ideas, but infrastructure. At City Gates, we believe legacy is not something you leave behind one day. It’s something you build every day.
Through projects like Vision Gateway, and in partnerships like those formed at KragDag, we are actively designing spaces where work, learning, and restoration happen side by side. We’re using advertising revenue to invest in community agriculture, micro-manufacturing, holistic health, and skills development — because that is how freedom takes root.
A heartfelt thank you
To every visitor who stopped by our stand, who joined us in the Kopskuifateljee, and who shared in the bigger story we’re trying to write — thank you. Your presence reminded us that no amount of wind or rain can dampen a movement driven by conviction.
Here’s to the seeds sown, the stories shared, and the legacy still unfolding.
