Mediatech Africa returned to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the first time since 2019, generating tremendous interest and highlighting the region's enthusiasm for entertainment technology, as well as its growing appetite for discovering the latest industry innovations.
Robe Lighting joined the excitement at Mediatech Africa 2026 with a stand at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, where a large international team showcased the company's latest innovations in the DWR Village area of the exhibition. DWR, Robe's distributor for Southern Africa, organized the space and plays a key role in developing the brand throughout the region.
Joining Robe on the stand were other Robe Group brands, including Anolis, manufacturer of architectural LED lighting; Avolites, specializing in lighting and video control systems; and LSC Control Systems, experts in power distribution solutions.
The exhibition also marked the official African launch of the new LEDBeam 200 fixture. Building on the success of the LEDBeam 100 and LEDBeam 150, the new model delivers greater output, higher brightness and richer colours thanks to its powerful LED engine, while maintaining the speed and lightweight design that have made the range so popular.
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Also making their debut were the Arianne6 and Arianne2 LED wash fixtures, featuring outstanding colour mixing, increased output, IP65/IP66 weather protection and simplified maintenance—features particularly well suited to the African events industry, where much of the work takes place outdoors.
These highly versatile fixtures are also an excellent fit for the Southern African market, renowned for producing world-class shows on modest budgets and with exceptional creativity.
Robe's busy stand also featured a selection of its flagship moving lights, including the GigaPointe, which took centre stage in the demonstrations, alongside the iESPRITE LTL, iBOLT, SVOPATT and TetraX.
The stand's light show was controlled using an Avolites D7 console, which also attracted considerable attention from visitors. It is one of the latest products introduced by Avolites since Robe acquired the renowned brand at the end of 2023.
The DWR Village also featured a dedicated live performance area, where Tungsten & Diode, created by theatre practitioners Michael Taylor-Broderick and David Gouldie, was presented. The production demonstrated how traditional and modern technologies can work together to enhance live performance. The lighting design for the production, staged on a four-metre-diameter circular platform suspended from the ceiling, featured Robe TetraX and iSpiiderX moving lights.
The exhibition attracted large crowds throughout its three-day run, with visitors eager to discover the latest technologies shaping the entertainment industry.
To support the DWR team, Robe sent a strong international delegation, underlining the importance of the South African market. The team included the company's CEO, Josef Valchar; International Sales Director, Michel Arntz; and Key Account Manager for Southern Africa, Jeroen van Aalst.
Valchar said it was "great to be back and experience the best Mediatech exhibition to date." He also praised the organizers for dividing the show into dedicated sectors—including broadcast, live events and systems integration—which, in his opinion, "helped focus visitors' attention" as they explored the exhibitors and demonstrations, including the outdoor display areas. Michel Arntz, meanwhile, highlighted the "excellent interest shown in all of our brands" and noted that both the quantity and quality of visitors met—and even exceeded—his expectations.
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Jeroen van Aalst commented that it was "great to be back on the show floor in Africa" and noted that the level of knowledge and engagement among industry professionals across the region has increased significantly, together with their growing interest in the latest technologies.
Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with many familiar faces while making plenty of new contacts. We see events like Mediatech as an essential forum for staying connected with the needs of this dynamic market and its community, he added.
The entire Robe team was also proud to support the SOS Chariot fundraising dinner organized by DWR at The Venue in Melrose Arch during the second day of the exhibition.
Created by DWR to support the industry, SOS Charity provides financial assistance to professionals working in the entertainment and theatre sectors—particularly freelancers—who face hardship due to illness, injury or other unforeseen circumstances. The fundraising dinner included an auction that raised ZAR 350,000 (approximately €20,000) for the charity.
It was a fantastic exhibition, and it was equally important for us to support the South African industry through SOS Charity and other outstanding initiatives. And, of course, it's great to see DWR playing such a central role in all of this, concluded Josef Valchar.
