What Scan Display Solutions does

Scan Display Solutions (Pty) Ltd is a privately held South African company founded in 1996 by Justin Hawes and headquartered at 179A Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North, Johannesburg, with a production facility in Newtown. The company designs, manufactures and installs custom and portable exhibition stands, modular display systems (including its proprietary Modulbox transportable system and tension fabric frames), LED-illuminated fabric lightboxes, event infrastructure (shell schemes, custom counters, furniture, flooring, audio-visual and electrical services), retail displays and shopfitting, brand and mall activations, and large-format printing. Customers are served through five owned branches — Johannesburg, Cape Town (relocated April 2023 adjacent to CTICC), Durban, Gqeberha and Botswana — supplemented by a distributor network covering the rest of Africa, with the underlying technology being largely physical and industrial-design based rather than software-defined.

The business is project-based and quote-driven across four core revenue streams: custom exhibition stands (one-time project sales), portable display products (one-time product sales), event infrastructure rental and sale, and professional services including graphic design, printing, brand activations and shopfitting. End customers span trade-show exhibitors, event organisers, retailers, museums and visitor centres, government departments and consumer brands; named engagements include Thule (KAP sani2c cycling event), the South African National Blood Service, MiRO, the KZN Department of Arts and Culture and the Gallagher Convention Centre.

The company is founder-led, with Justin Hawes as Managing Director since 1996 and a long-tenured executive team including Financial Director Moses Nefale (joined 2008), Production Director Martina Ledwaba (joined 2002) and Creative Director Jacob van Zyl (appointed 2024). It holds a Level 1 B-BBEE certification — a material procurement credential in South Africa — and PAIA compliance. Hawes has held senior roles at EXSA (Chairman 2005), co-founded the Event Greening Forum in 2009 and was the first African on the IFES board from 2011, serving as IFES President from 2021 to 2022, embedding Scan Display in the governance layer of the regional and global exhibition industry.

Name

Scan Display Solutions

Legal name

Scan Display Solutions (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://scandisplay.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Scan Display Solutions designs, manufactures and installs custom exhibition stands, portable display systems, event infrastructure and retail shopfitting for trade shows, museums, government and brand activations across Africa, operating from five branches with continent-wide distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exhibition and Event Display Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Format & Specialty Printing (Signage, Posters, Displays) (MPAJALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer-Facing Displays & Digital Signage for Checkout (HDACAKAF)

Keywords

• Exhibition stand design
• Event infrastructure
• Retail display solutions
• Brand activation services
• Custom shopfitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Stands and Custom Displays: Design, build and sell custom exhibition stands and display products for trade shows and events
2. Portable Display Products: Sale of portable display products including roll-up banners, fabric frames, counters, and signage
3. Event Infrastructure: Rental and sale of event infrastructure including shell schemes, furniture, audio visual, and electics
4. Printing Services: Graphic design and printing services for displays and signage
5. Brand Activations and Mall Displays: Custom activations, mall displays, and promotional installations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Scan Display Solutions designs, manufactures, and installs custom exhibition stands, portable display products, and event infrastructure for trade shows, exhibitions, and conferences. It also provides retail shopfitting, museum and visitor centre installations, mall and brand activations, and large-format printing services, operating from five branches across Africa.

Product overview

Scan Display Solutions is an exhibition, events and display specialist offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offering includes custom and portable exhibition stands (Custom Stands, Fabric Pop-up Stands, Modulbox), complemented by complete event infrastructure (Shell Schemes, Counters, Furniture, Flooring, Audio Visual, Electrics). The product range spans portable displays (Roll-up Banners, Brochure Stands, Clip Frames, Folding Systems, Green Screens), lighting solutions (LED Fabric Lightbox, Portable LED Fabric Lightbox), and retail displays (Shopping Kiosks, Showcases, Plinths). Services include museum and visitor centre installations, interior design, brand activations, mall activations, and large format printing. The company operates from five branches across Africa and distributes products throughout the continent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Exhibition Stands Bespoke exhibition stands designed and built to client specifications for unique brand presentations at trade shows, exhibitions, and events across Africa.
• Modulbox A transportable stand-in-a-box system for exhibitions, activations, and events, designed for ease of transport and quick setup.
• Fabric Pop-up Stand A portable tension fabric display system that folds for easy transport and sets up quickly for exhibitions and events.
• Event Infrastructure Complete event infrastructure provision including shell schemes, custom and registration counters, furniture, carpeting and flooring, audio visual, and electrical services for exhibitions and events.
• LED Fabric Lightbox

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized at 2026 EXSA-llence Awards for sustainability
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA)coreOthersActive membership and leadership involvement. Managing Director Justin Hawes served on EXSA executive committee as Vice Chairman (2002-2004) and Chairman (2005). Financial Director Moses Nefale served as Treasurer (2019-2021).
• Event Greening Forum (EGF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Managing Director Justin Hawes in 2009 as a non-profit organization promoting sustainability in the South African events industry. Justin Hawes currently serves as Treasurer.
• International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES)coreOthersJustin Hawes was the first African to be represented on IFES board (2011), served as Treasurer (2013-2016), Vice President: Finance (2017-2020), and President (2021-2022).
• AAXO (Association of African Exhibition Organisers)minorOthersIndustry association membership for African exhibition and event professionals
• South African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI)minorOthersIndustry association membership for conference and events professionals in South Africa
• Proudly SAminorOthersLocal procurement initiative promoting South African products and services

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Octanorm: German-origin modular exhibition system pioneer with global reach; directly competes on modular stand components used by exhibitors and serves a comparable trade show customer base.
• beMatrix: Belgian manufacturer of modular aluminum frame systems for exhibition stands with global distribution; directly competes on modular and portable display systems analogous to Scan Display's Modulbox and Fabric Pop-up systems.
• Orbus Exhibit & Display Group: Large North American fabricator and distributor of trade show displays, banners, signage, and event furnishings; matches Scan Display's broad display-product catalog and event-services scope.
• Cramer Expo Group: US/Canada-based custom exhibit and event services firm with multi-decade presence; directly comparable on custom-build and trade-show services delivered to enterprise exhibitor clients.
• Classic Exhibits: US custom and portable exhibit designer/manufacturer with a strong distributor channel; directly comparable on the bespoke custom plus portable display hybrid model Scan Display operates.
• Skyline Exhibits: US-headquartered designer and producer of custom and portable exhibition stands; directly comparable to Scan Display on product mix (custom stands + portable displays) and on customer base (trade show exhibitors, event marketers).

Broad incumbents

• GES Global Experience Specialists: Global event and exhibition services firm operating across trade show logistics, exhibit design, and on-site services; broader incumbent competing for the same event-services wallet as Scan Display's event infrastructure arm.
• Messe Frankfurt: Global trade fair organizer and venue operator (including Africa via Johannesburg shows) that also supplies event infrastructure and brand activation; overlaps with Scan Display's event infrastructure rental and contracting on the same exhibitor wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scandisplay
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScanDisplay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scan-display-solutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/scandisplay

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scan Display Solutions