WE ARE VR
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WE ARE VR — The VR/AR Capital of Africa

One Jozi-built crew bringing artists, hackers, and dealmakers together — free, self-governing, learning in public since 2018.

Join the community See today's desk

The challenge

World-class immersive talent. No shared stage.

Across the continent, XR creators work scattered and under-resourced — brilliant alone. Hesitation costs relevance.

The mission

The next reality is built together.

250+members and growing — help shape Africa's immersive industry from Joburg outward.

Join the community

Today's signal

Headlines and openings for Joburg makers — refreshed while you were away.

XR radar

Live · Jozi first

Sweeping Jozi XR…

Opportunities

Openings worth opening

Full board

Scanning remote gigs…

Illustration: neon Johannesburg skyline at dusk

2024

Illustration: orange desert city

2024

AltspaceVR avatars at a panel table, Ethics in XR night

2020

WE ARE VR meetup — audience

2019

Since 2019 · Johannesburg

The nights

In-person nights paused — chat stays open. When we return: Last Thursdays from 18:00 CAT · Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Meetup nights currently offline. Chat communities still open. When nights return: Last Thursdays from 18:00 CAT · Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Join the community

Community lab, not a trade show — short intro, curated talks, demos you can try, then mingle.

How the night works

Season 1 · ten themed nights

  1. NatureEpisode 1. Featuring ft. Ulrico Grech-Cumbo
  2. FilmEpisode 2. Featuring ft. Nirma Madhoo & Divesh Naidoo
  3. PerformanceEpisode 3. Featuring ft. Mbongeni Fakudze & Stephen Hobbs
  4. ArtEpisode 4. Featuring ft. Ann Roberts, Gareth Steele & Rick Treweek
  5. GamingEpisode 5. Featuring ft. Ruan Rothmann, Pippa Tshabalala, Steven Tu & Daliso Ngoma
  6. AREpisode 6. Featuring ft. Mbangiso Mabaso, Oliver Mayhew & Divesh Naidoo
  7. Fak'ugesi: #ImmersiveAfricaEpisode 7. Featuring ft. Brian Afande & Kombo Chapfika
  8. State of XREpisode 8. Featuring ft. Steve Pinto
  9. Nat GeoEpisode 9. Featuring ft. John Hilton, Kaitlyn Mullin & Ulrico Grech-Cumbo
  10. XR in 2020Episode 10. Featuring ft. Dominic Eskofier & Shmerah Passchier
The full archive

Who are WE ARE VR?

Since 2018, a Jozi-built crew of artists, hackers, and dealmakers shaping immersive tech — presence, embodiment, lived experience — together in public.

250+ members · free forever · self-governing

Read who we are What is immersion?

Founding members

  • VR
  • AR
  • smartglasses
  • spatial audio
  • projection
  • drones
  • mixed reality

Built for people who learn by making — not by watching slides.

Supporters

  • Aluta Null
  • Malcolm Che
  • Buzwe Bam
  • Lebo Leitch
  • Andre Hamman
  • Lex Neville
  • Tshireletso Tshwenyane
  • Mic Balkind
  • Gerald Ferreira
  • Kirstin Lee Grey
  • Electric South
  • Luke Draper
  • many more

Partners

  • Keyes Art Mile
  • TMRW gallery
  • MIX bar
  • Tshimologong Innovation Precinct
  • Fak'ugesi Festival
  • Slayer Energy Drinks
  • Altspace (VR)
  • VRChat
  • Mozilla Hubs
  • Afro Geek Fest
  • MakeGamesSA
  • others
Eight years of nights
Africa XR Report — open spreads with maps, demographics, and insights
AXR

Africa XR Report

Championed by WE ARE VR members — a first-of-its-kind survey of VR and AR creators, studios, and enthusiasts across the continent.

Read the report Add your org

What we do

Full activities

Ideas

Practice notes from the community.

guide

How to compare two Johannesburg VR activation quotes

Build one comparison sheet that exposes missing hardware, crew, logistics, risk and exclusions before you choose a VR supplier.

All insights

How do I join?

One tap into WhatsApp — daily XR signal while nights are offline. Chat communities still open.

250+ already in the chat

RecommendedOpen WhatsApp Daily signal · help desk · jobs · Monday Wins
  • Announcementsnights, drops, community news
  • Help desktech questions when you're stuck
  • Jobsgigs, collabs, openings
  • Monday Winsweekly ritual — signal over noise
Prefer another network?
Open SignalOpen Keet
Optional — tell us your focus

We'll reply and point you at the right channels. Prefer chat? Use WhatsApp above. Or make contact to join the organizing crew.

What are you into?

We'll point you at headset demos, 360 shoots, and the people building them.

Privacy: we won't share your email outside relevant WE ARE VR organizers.

Still deciding? Start here.

Are meetups happening right now?

In-person nights are currently offline. Chat communities stay open — join WhatsApp from join here — and we'll announce when nights return. Past seasons live in Archive.

What exactly is WE ARE VR?

A grassroots XR community in Johannesburg that showcases local VR/AR/MR talent, provides skills development, and builds collective bargaining power for creators. Started in 2018, now 250+ active members. Start at join here

Who can join?

Anyone interested in extended reality — developers, artists, students, entrepreneurs, researchers, or curious newcomers. No experience required. Ages ~17–60+; actively gender-inclusive and diverse. Join here: join here

How much does it cost?

Free to join the WhatsApp community and attend meetups. Merch and donations on the site (PayFast or bank transfer) help sustain meetups and programs; core access remains free. Join here: join here

What happens at monthly meetups?

Curated talks and demos, hands-on VR/AR experiences, networking, and knowledge sharing. Usually last Thursday of each month in Rosebank. Community-lab style — show-and-tell, not corporate expo. See Meetup and past nights in Archive

I’m a beginner. Will I feel out of place?

No. Mentorship, skill workshops, and a welcoming atmosphere. Every expert started with zero XR experience. Join here: join here

What’s the WhatsApp community like?

Channels for announcements, news, help desk, jobs, and general chat. Daily knowledge sharing, weekly rituals like Monday Wins, curated content drops. Signal over noise. Parallel Signal use is also mentioned for daily news. Open WhatsApp from join here

How does it help professionally?

Job postings, freelance gigs, collaborations, fair rate guidance, contract advice, and collective support if clients act badly. Building toward union-like collective bargaining power. Write organizers via contact organizers or support at Support

Can companies get involved?

Yes — recruit talent, sponsor events, partner on projects. Educational institutions collaborate on training. Funders can support initiatives like the planned XR Skills Uplift program. Write organizers via contact organizers or support at Support

Different from LinkedIn networking?

Face-to-face community, hands-on demos, mentorship, collective protection against exploitation, shared resources and equipment, and a mission beyond individual gain — building Africa’s XR industry on terms that serve creators. Start at join here

How can I help?

Support with funding and membership so the local scene can grow faster. Nearly a decade of volunteer time, money, and effort already invested. Write organizers via contact organizers or support at Support

Make Contact

Members join in the chat above. Organizers: sponsor a night, brief a maker, or help run the thing.

Pick your lane

Nights happen because someone books the room, films the demos, and keeps the chat alive. That someone could be you.

We won't share your email outside relevant WE ARE VR organizers.

Prefer email? wearevrjozi@gmail.com