Why buy displays locally in South Africa
When a prototype or classroom build needs a screen today, waiting weeks for import stock kills momentum. Communica holds a wide range of LCD, OLED, TFT and capacitive touch panels from maker-friendly brands so you can get back to testing and teaching. Local stock reduces lead times, lets you collect from our Samrand head office or Pretoria and Cape Town branches, and ensures VAT invoices and account quotes are available for procurement and tertiary use.
What you’ll find in our display range
We stock small character LCDs and large colour TFT modules, HDMI-ready panels, accessories like display drivers, ribbon cables and touch digitizers, plus development shields for Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Popular maker formats and sizes are available, along with industrial interface options for simple integration.
Quick spec comparison - choose by use
Use this short table to match a display family to your project needs.
| Type | Best for | Typical interfaces | Pros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character LCD (16x2, 20x4) | Text readouts, low-cost projects | I2C, parallel | Low power, simple |
| OLED (0.96"-1.5") | Wearables, compact GUIs | I2C, SPI | High contrast, wide viewing |
| TFT/LCD (2.4"-7") | Rich graphics, touch UIs | SPI, Parallel, HDMI | Full-colour, touch options |
| IPS panels (7+") | Prototypes, demos | HDMI, LVDS | Wide viewing angles |
Specification callouts to check before you buy
When you compare modules, prioritise these specs: interface type (I2C/SPI/parallel/HDMI), voltage levels (3.3V vs 5V), controller compatibility (e.g., ST7735, ILI9341), resolution, and whether a display includes a touch digitizer. If you’re building with Raspberry Pi or Arduino, match the controller and voltage to avoid level-shifting pain.
Not sure which interface you need? Check our Shop by Category for displays and accessories here to filter by interface and size.
Compatibility & accessory bundles
We offer bundles that pair displays with driver boards, cables and mounting brackets to reduce integration time. For Raspberry Pi projects choose HDMI or SPI TFT kits with 40-pin adapter boards; for microcontroller projects, pick SPI/I2C modules with level-shifter breakout boards. Our product pages list controller ICs and wiring notes so you can confirm compatibility before ordering.
See our complete product index for brand and module options here.
