From Farm to VR – The Unlikely Journey of MetaRick

Exploring how South African technologist Rick Treweek built worlds—and community—in the metaverse

In this episode, Rick Treweek — aka MetaRick — shares his unlikely journey from growing up on a South African farm to becoming a pioneer of VR and immersive art. The discussion explores how he blends traditional art, VR-world building, and storytelling to create digital spaces that challenge conventional media.

Rick explains why building “meaningful VR” in Africa means more than hype: it demands open creativity, cultural authenticity, and community over profit. He discusses the challenges facing African VR creators — funding difficulties, platform ownership issues, and the risk of creative isolation — while arguing for open, locally-rooted immersive spaces that reflect African stories and values.

He also reflects on his work with Eden Labs, early experiments in 3D, AR/VR and virtual theatre, and how those experiments helped him see VR not just as technology, but as a tool for community building, art, therapy, and cultural expression.