8 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I October 2026
CHRISTMAS IN JULY networking
SAIRAC JOHANNESBURG CENTRE CELEBRATES YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND RECOGNITION
By Eamonn Ryan
The SAIRAC Johannesburg Centre gathered on 24 July 2026 for its 62nd Annual General Meeting( AGM) combined with the traditional Christmas in July function, an evening that reflected both on a busy year and celebrated the people who helped make it a success.
Chaired by Gregory Grobbelaar, the meeting opened with a warm welcome to members, guests, past presidents, national representatives and committee members. A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of an industry colleague FR van der Merwe who had passed away during the year, underscoring the strong sense of community within SAIRAC.
In his chairman’ s report, Grobbelaar highlighted an exceptionally active year of education and technical development. The Centre hosted a full programme of Zoombased regional courses, including:
• Equipment selection for refrigeration applications – presented by Robert Fox
• Ducting course – presented by Robert Fox
• Air conditioning course – presented by Anton Kotze
• Refrigeration applications – presented by Robert Fox
• Fan course – presented by Francois Schoombie
These were complemented by a strong series of technical talks, covering topics such as:
• Ventilation fan technology( Francois Schoombie)
• Life cycle refrigerant management and refrigerant trends( Werner Terblanche)
• Integration of CAD / CAM into organisations( Robert Fox)
• Alternatives to traditional system evacuation methods( Michael Olivier)
• Insurance performance guarantees( Vanessa Loots)
• Copper press fittings for modern refrigeration and cooling( Frank Schrick and Ronald Cloete)
• Health and safety file preparation( Robert Fox)
• Continuous professional development( Robert Fox)
The Johannesburg Centre also maintained excellent governance and continuity, with monthly committee meetings – mostly via Zoom and one key face‐to‐face planning session in November. Beyond the formal meetings and technical programme, members enjoyed several flagship events:
• The 61st AGM and Christmas in July function at the Apollo Hotel
• The Fellows’ Lunch at the Johannesburg Country Club
• The 37th Annual Golf Day at the Pretoria Golf Club
Grobbelaar extended heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in organising and supporting these functions, noting that the Centre’ s vitality depends on active participation from its members.
FINANCIAL STABILITY AND NATIONAL IMPACT National Treasurer Grant Laidlaw presented a positive financial picture. The Centre account operated close to break‐even, while the education account once again made a strong contribution, enabling national initiatives such as bringing international experts to South Africa under the Dreosti Memorial Lecture Series.
Laidlaw also reminded members of SAIRAC’ s broader impact:
• SAIRAC is the owner of the FRIGAIR Expo and associated conferences.
• The association participates in key government working committees, especially within the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, influencing refrigerant legislation and industry standards.
• Membership categories – from student through associate, member and fellow – carry professional recognition, and SAIRAC’ s status as a recognised CPD provider supports engineers, technologists, and increasingly artisans, as CPD requirements broaden across the industry.
8 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I October 2026