Roland DG South Africa has again signed on as a Platinum sponsor for the 2026 Sign Africa Expos. Bob Glenister, CEO of Roland distributor Telpro, discusses the sponsorship, leadership principles, the future of print, and more.
How do you define success both for yourself and for your company?
Glenister rejects the conventional notion of ‘success’, believing that defining success through fixed goals limits human potential. For him, success is not a destination but a continuous journey of growth and self-realisation.
‘The moment you set a goal, you limit yourself, but your potential is infinite,’ said Glenister. Any predefined target implies a ceiling, and he argues that individuals and companies possess far greater potential than any single goal could capture. His philosophy emphasises ongoing exploration, evolution, and the freedom to keep pushing beyond perceived limits.
Does print have an intrinsic value that digital media can’t replace?
According to Glenister, the future of print isn’t for him to declare – it’s something the market will ultimately decide. He said that consumer behaviour shifts constantly, noting how readers once embraced e-books and then returned to printed books. In his view, print and digital aren’t in competition, but serve different functional needs. ‘The two technologies are partners. Digital and print each have their place for certain messaging,’ added Glenister.
Digital displays naturally replace print in environments where information must change rapidly, such as menus, pricing boards, or billboards as they offer speed and flexibility. But print remains indispensable in areas where physical application is essential, like product packaging or labelling. While he doubts print will disappear, he maintains that its future is shaped not by individual opinion but by the collective choices of billions of consumers.
What are the main leadership lessons you’ve learnt?
Glenister’s leadership philosophy is grounded in intuition, authenticity, and a deep understanding of people. ‘Leadership isn’t rational. It’s about instinct, empathy, and developing a real sense for the world,’ he said. He believes effective leadership requires developing the often overlooked right brain qualities – aspects that formal education tends to neglect.
His own life experiences, particularly learning to survive independently at a young age, shaped his ability to read situations, trust others, and lead with emotional intelligence rather than rigid logic. For him, leadership is not about control or hierarchy, but about enabling others to grow, trust themselves, and ultimately surpass their own perceived limits.
Are printing businesses doing enough to keep up with new trends and technology, and if not, what more can they do?
Glenister argued that the question should rather be whether print manufacturers and suppliers are doing enough to keep up with new trends and technology, adding, ‘Our customers are already driving the trends and technology while corporates have lost the plot. They’re chasing each other rather than focusing on the customer.’ Glenister argued that, with emerging technology, printing businesses are the ones who foster environments that encourage experimentation, welcome diverse ideas, and stay open to disruption rather than resisting it.
‘We don’t have customers in the print business who are behind the curve. They are way ahead because they create things with our equipment that none of us even imagined. I don’t think customers are behind because they are the leaders, and if we forget they’re the leaders, we’re in trouble,’ he added.
What legacy would you like your company, or yourself, to leave behind?
Glenister envisions a legacy defined not by accolades or industry dominance, but by people, and specifically individuals who discovered their potential through the company’s influence. For him, the true measure of impact lies in whether the business helped others ‘find their feet’, uncover their identity, and ultimately reach a point of independence where they no longer need the company, yet still choose to return.
He speaks proudly of customers and staff who have ‘learnt to fly’ – those who took the skills, confidence, and freedom they gained and carried them into the world, sometimes to new places and opportunities, yet always returning to stay connected. His ideal legacy is a community of empowered and freedom-driven individuals whose growth was sparked by the environment his company created.
Why do you continue to sponsor the Sign Africa expos?
While Glenister insists he doesn’t approach sponsorship with rational calculation, his philosophy reveals a deeply principled stance. He supports the Sign Africa expos because they ‘inject energy, diversity and creative disruption into the industry’. These are forces he believes are essential for long-term growth. He pushes back against elitism, gatekeeping, and the formation of ‘guild-like’ structures that consolidate power and limit participation.
Instead, he champions environments where young entrepreneurs can challenge norms and shake up entrenched systems, just as his own generation once did. Glenister commented: ‘I sponsor the expos to keep the industry vibrant and full of energy, diversity, and young people who aren’t afraid to turn the world upside down.’ Sponsorship for him is an investment in accessibility and a deliberate effort to keep the industry open, dynamic, and alive with possibility.
What value does Roland bring to the Sign Africa expos?
Glenister maintains that the true value Roland brings to the events is not for him to define, but for the market to determine. The company’s focus is simply to do what it believes is right, like offering long-lasting machines, maintaining repair capabilities rather than defaulting to costly replacements, and ensuring spare parts are always accessible.
Roland’s philosophy prioritises practicality, longevity, and customer empowerment. Whether this translates into real value is, in his view, a question only customers and industry participants can answer. Still, he acknowledged that the company’s growth in market share suggests they are on the right path. ‘We provide meaningful support, consistency, and reliability in ways that resonate with those we serve. ‘We try do the right things, but only the market can decide our value. It’s customers who ultimately tell us whether we matter,’ concluded Glenister.
The 2026 Sign Africa Expo Dates:
– Bloemfontein: Wednesday, 11 February 2026, Ilanga Estate
– Cape Town: Wednesday and Thursday, 11-12 March 2026, CTICC
– Durban: Wednesday and Thursday, 27-28 May 2026, Durban ICC
– Johannesburg: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8-10 September 2026, Gallagher Convention Centre
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