On a winter morning in Johannesburg, a group of blind and partially sighted South Africans sat around a table, slipped on a pair of ordinary-looking Ray-Ban sunglasses, and started asking them questions about the room.
The glasses were Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 smart glasses — the same frames people wear to take hands-free photos and listen to music. But for the people at this table, they were doing something else entirely: describing a menu, reading a label, naming what was directly in front of them. The training was sponsored by Cashbuild, Southern Africa's largest building-materials retailer, as part of its community-investment work, and run in partnership with the South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB). We at 180by2 (the retail home of African Technopreneurs) supplied and set up the glasses.
It's easy to write off smart glasses as a gadget for tech enthusiasts. This is a look at why, for blind and low-vision South Africans, they can be a good deal more than that.
What "smart glasses for the blind" actually means
Smart glasses don't restore sight, and they aren't marketed as a medical device. What Meta's AI glasses do is assist with small, everyday visual tasks — reading a label, reading out a sign, noticing objects in your surroundings — by putting a camera and a voice assistant where your eyes are, and keeping your hands free.
They help improve independence. A tool that reads a bank statement aloud or describes a street corner is a huge boost to quality of life.
"Hey Meta, what am I looking at?"
The core of it is a single spoken question. With the glasses on, a user says "Hey Meta, what am I looking at?" and Meta AI captures an image and describes the scene out loud through the open-ear speakers — no phone in hand, no screen to see.
That was the feature we demonstrated at the training. As Daliso Ngoma, Managing Director of African Technopreneurs, explained on the day:
"These are smart glasses from Meta. So … if a person has the glasses on, they can say, 'Hey Meta, what am I looking at?' And they can actually take a picture and describe what exactly is happening."
In practice, that covers a lot of ordinary life: reading printed text and packaging, identifying an object, or getting a quick description of an unfamiliar space — the kinds of tasks that are simple with sight and genuinely awkward without it. The glasses can also handle hands-free calls, messages and music, so a single pair covers assistance and the everyday things everyone else uses a phone for.
"Hey Meta, Be My Eyes"
There's also Be My Eyes — a separate service that connects blind and low-vision users to a sighted human volunteer by live video. The Be My Eyes app is widely available, and it can pair with Meta glasses. It works independently of Meta AI, and all you need to do is download the Be My Eyes app and turn it on in the device settings within the Meta AI app. Watch the video below, made in partnership with the SANCB, to learn more about how the feature works.
WhatsApp video calls
While not an official accessibility aid, making WhatsApp video calls with Ray-Ban Meta glasses lets the person on the other end see through the cameras, offering a similar function to Be My Eyes — except this time it's with a person you know and trust, rather than a randomly selected volunteer. This is by no means a replacement for Be My Eyes, but it's a valuable option.
Real stories from the Johannesburg training
What stood out at the event wasn't the technology — it was the clear sense of empowerment the participants felt.
"For us people with visual impairment, having such privilege to be able to explore the world in a way that we couldn't imagine — having someone who's going to be 24/7 on your side explaining everything to you, it's a very huge privilege than being on your own. […] It also gives a way of knowing what the world looks like. Some don't even know what their own kids look like — at least now they'll know. For some of us, we hope to go back into studying. It would also make things easier. […] With the way I've been researching about these glasses… for as much as they're just smart glasses, for some people it's for entertainment, but for us it's our eyes."
— Training participant
That detail — her own research before the training ever happened — is worth sitting with: this wasn't technology being handed to people who didn't ask for it. There's real demand — people are already looking for tools like this — and the training simply put the glasses in their hands and showed them the ropes.
Does Meta AI work on the glasses in South Africa?
Yes — with an important caveat: Meta AI's rollout in South Africa is staggered, so features arrive in waves and not every user sees every feature on the same day.
To bridge the gap, 180by2 offers a Meta AI activation service: it's free when you buy your glasses from us, and R2,000 if you already own a pair and want us to get the features working.
If you're weighing up a pair, that's the practical bit to know: buying from a local supplier that sets the glasses up for you is the difference between a gadget that "isn't supported here" and one that actually describes your surroundings out of the box.
What these glasses can't do (yet)
Meta AI reads and describes well, but it isn't a dedicated document scanner — long or dense text won't come back word-perfect every time. Descriptions are AI-generated, so they're a helpful read on a scene rather than a guarantee. And features, languages and availability are still expanding, so some capabilities you read about internationally may not have reached South Africa yet.
What if I want AI but not Ray-Ban Metas?
There are other options:
The same AI built for the outdoors: Oakley Meta glasses
This article has spoken about the Ray-Ban Metas but we'd also like to note that all the features spoken about are also available on the Oakley Meta range. The same "Hey Meta, what am I looking at?" descriptions, text reading and object identification are available in a frame built for movement. For a blind or partially sighted person who runs, cycles, hikes or spends real time outdoors, that changes which pair makes sense.
The sport-focused model, the Oakley Meta Vanguard, is designed for exactly these conditions. Its wraparound frame and three-point fit stay put when you're moving quickly; it's rated IP67 against dust, sweat and rain; and its open-ear speakers are noticeably louder than the other models — with microphones tuned to cut through wind — so spoken descriptions stay audible on a windy trail or a busy road. Battery runs up to nine hours, enough for a long day out, and the frames are made to sit comfortably under a cap or a cycling helmet.
For those who aren't athletes but still engage in outdoor activities such as hiking or walks, the Oakley Meta HSTN sits in the sweet spot between a stylish and rugged design. The iconic HSTN design alongside an IPX4 rating means you get to stand out while also getting resistance to light rain and splashes. An 8-hr battery life and a charging case that gives another 48 hours means you can go hiking all day without losing access to the Meta AI features.
There's a quieter accessibility benefit here too. Paired with a compatible Garmin device, the Oakley Meta glasses can read your stats aloud on command — "Hey Meta, what's my heart rate?" or "how's my pace?" — hands-free and screen-free. For someone who can't easily glance down at a small watch face, getting that information by voice is genuinely useful, not just a nice-to-have.
Note that the same South African rollout applies, so the AI features still need activating — which we can handle whether you choose Ray-Ban Meta or Oakley Meta.
The newest — and most affordable — option: Meta Glasses
In 2026, Meta launched its first self-branded range, simply called Meta Glasses, in three frames — the Adventurer, the Fury and the Kylie edition (designed with Kylie Jenner). They carry the same core hardware and every accessibility feature we've covered — "Hey Meta, what am I looking at?", text reading, object and scene descriptions, and Be My Eyes — but start lower than the Ray-Ban frames, at R10,999, and take prescription lenses.
They're also the first to ship with Meta's newest AI, powered by its new Muse Spark model — a faster, more capable assistant from Meta's Superintelligence Labs that is also rolling out to existing Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses. For a blind or low-vision user, a quicker, sharper assistant means more responsive descriptions and answers. As with every Meta frame, the newest features reach South Africa in stages, so our activation service applies here too.
How to get started
If you or someone you support could use this, the setup is straightforward: a pair of Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta or the newer Meta Glasses, a compatible smartphone with the Meta AI app, and activation to switch the AI features on. We handle the last part for you.
You can see the current range on our Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 collection, and if you've already got a pair, reach out to us at info@180by2.co.za. Every pair we sell includes local warranty and support.
Frequently asked questions
Do Ray-Ban Meta glasses help blind people?
Yes — they help by describing the world hands-free. A blind or low-vision user can ask the glasses what's in front of them, and Meta AI reads text, identifies objects and describes the scene aloud. They don't restore vision; they remove everyday barriers.
What can Meta AI glasses do for visually impaired users?
They read printed text and labels, describe surroundings and objects on request, and handle hands-free calls, messages and music — so one pair covers both visual assistance and the everyday things a phone would normally do.
Is Meta AI available in South Africa?
Yes, but the rollout is staggered, so features arrive in stages and may appear at different times for different users. 180by2 offers an activation service to get the AI features working — free with a purchase from us, or R2,000 for existing owners.
Can smart glasses help with low vision?
Yes. For people with low vision or partial sight, having text read aloud or a scene described can make reading, navigating and identifying things far easier, without needing to hold a phone up to everything.
Does Be My Eyes work with Ray-Ban Meta glasses in South Africa?
Yes. The Be My Eyes app connects you to a sighted volunteer by live video and is widely available. It works independently of Meta AI and can be set up via the Meta AI app's settings.
Do Oakley Meta glasses have the same accessibility features as Ray-Ban Meta?
Yes. Oakley Meta glasses run the same Meta AI, so the "Hey Meta, what am I looking at?" descriptions, text reading and object identification work just as they do on Ray-Ban Meta. The sport-focused Oakley Meta Vanguard adds a secure wraparound fit, IP67 dust and water resistance and louder speakers, which suits blind and partially sighted people who run, cycle or hike.
Do the new Meta Glasses (Adventurer, Fury and Kylie) work for blind and low-vision users?
Yes. The Meta Glasses run the same accessibility features — "Hey Meta, what am I looking at?", text reading, scene descriptions and Be My Eyes — and are the first to ship with Meta's newest AI model, Muse Spark. They start at a lower price than the Ray-Ban frames (R10,999) and support prescription lenses.
How much do Ray-Ban Meta glasses cost in South Africa?
The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses go for R13,499.