Design to test, under one roof
Lens and mechanical design, assembly in laminar-flow cabinets, and in-house MTF, interferometry and collimator test equipment, all in Somerset West. Environmental and space qualification campaigns run with specialist test partners.
Chromar is part of the 2026 Centauri Space Tech Accelerator Programme at the Riversands Incubation Hub.
Team
Tymen Nagel (Snr)
Founder and optical designer
Began optical design in 1982 and founded Chromar in 1989.
Tymen Ryk Nagel (Jnr)
Director
B.Eng (Mechanical), University of Pretoria. ECSA Candidate Professional Engineer and SAIMechE member. Took ownership of Chromar in 2018.
Rikus Cronje
Systems Engineer
Joined Chromar in 2025. Co-founder of Dragonfly Aerospace (2019–2025), with earlier roles at Airbus Defence and Space, Carl Zeiss Optronics and Denel Optronics. M.Eng (Electronic), Rand Afrikaans University.
Company details
| Legal name | Chromar Technology (Pty) Ltd |
|---|---|
| Registration number | 2022/694506/07 |
| VAT number | 4850209794 |
| Address | Building 3, Unit G, Arun Place, Cherrywood Gardens, Somerset West, 7130, Western Cape, South Africa |
| info@chromar.co.za |
Have a specification?
Tell us the focal length, f-number, spectral band, sensor and operating environment. We will tell you whether an existing design fits, or what a new one involves.