MCM returned to KragDag with a powerful showcase of construction and agricultural machinery — and one four-legged surprise that had visitors stopping in their tracks.
MCM once again made its presence felt at KragDag 2026, held from 6 to 8 August 2026, returning to Stand #2014 with a carefully selected line-up representing some of the most versatile equipment in the MCM range.
For MCM, KragDag has become much more than another date on the exhibition calendar. It is an opportunity to meet South African farmers, contractors, entrepreneurs, business owners and equipment users face-to-face; to discuss the realities they deal with every day; and, most importantly, to put practical machinery in front of the people who use machinery to get work done.
This year, MCM brought its A-Game. From the popular MCM 27X “Jack Russell” Mini TLB and highly versatile MS33 Compact Track Loader, to the Yuchai U35 Excavator, HZM SK1100 Skid Steer and machines from the formidable MCM 9-Series Front End Loader range, the stand provided visitors with a snapshot of just how broad the modern MCM equipment offering has become.
And then there was something completely different. Walking amongst the machines and interacting with visitors was the Unitree Go2 Quadruped Robot — bringing a glimpse of artificial intelligence, advanced sensing and mobile robotics into an environment traditionally dominated by diesel engines, hydraulics and heavy steel. It proved to be one of the unexpected attractions of the MCM display.
KragDag: Where Practical Solutions and Innovation Meet
The fit between MCM and KragDag is a natural one. KragDag describes its annual expo as a showcase for self-reliance and sustainable solutions, bringing together agriculture, construction, technology, energy, security, education, entrepreneurship and practical innovation. Its 2026 theme, “Druppels word strome, strome word riviere!” — loosely translated as “Drops become streams, streams become rivers” — captured the idea that individual actions, technologies and businesses can collectively create meaningful change.
The scale of the event has continued to grow. KragDag reports that its 2025 expo attracted more than 600 exhibitors and approximately 32,500 visitors, making it an important meeting point for businesses and consumers looking for practical solutions rather than technology for technology’s sake.
That philosophy resonates strongly with MCM. Whether the solution is a compact machine that allows a small contractor to take on bigger jobs, a front-end loader that improves productivity on a farm, an excavator that reduces manual labour, or a quadruped robot capable of carrying sensors into environments where people may eventually not need to go, the underlying question remains the same: How can technology help people work smarter, safer and more productively? KragDag provided the ideal environment in which to have that conversation.
The Jack Russell Returns: MCM 27X Mini TLB
Few machines represent MCM at KragDag better than the MCM 27X Mini TLB. Affectionately associated with the “Jack Russell” name, the concept behind the machine is straightforward: compact dimensions, serious capability and a willingness to work.
The current MCM 27X is powered by a 37 kW diesel engine, has an operating weight of approximately 2,800 kg, a rated loader capacity of 1,000 kg, a 0.45 m³ front loader bucket and a maximum digging depth of approximately 1.6 metres. That combination has made the 27X particularly attractive to customers who need the versatility of a TLB without necessarily needing — or wanting to transport and operate — a conventional full-size backhoe loader.
For small contractors, farmers, property developers, maintenance teams and owner-operators, the 27X occupies an interesting position. One machine can load material, excavate, clean sites, maintain roads, dig trenches, move soil and perform a range of general duties while remaining compact enough for applications where larger machines become cumbersome. At KragDag, it once again represented an important part of the MCM philosophy: you do not always need a bigger machine. You need the right machine.
MS33 Compact Track Loader: Small Footprint, Big Versatility
Alongside the 27X was another machine designed around compact productivity — the MCM MS33 Compact Track Loader. The MS33 takes the skid-steer concept and packages it into a compact tracked platform aimed at contractors, landscapers, farmers and businesses that need access to tight working environments.
Powered by a Kubota D1105 diesel engine producing approximately 18.8 kW, the MS33 offers a rated load capacity of around 300 kg and hydraulic flow of approximately 67.2 litres per minute. But the value of this type of machine is not determined purely by its bucket. Its real strength lies in versatility.
A compact hydraulic carrier can become a completely different machine depending on the attachment fitted to it. Loading, trenching, drilling, site preparation, landscaping, material handling and cleaning applications can potentially be approached from one compact platform. For smaller contracting businesses in particular, this can fundamentally change the economics of owning equipment. Instead of buying a dedicated machine for every job, the operator can increasingly invest in a power unit plus attachments. That makes the MS33 an excellent example of the kind of practical innovation KragDag is built around.
Yuchai U35: Serious Excavation in a Compact Package
For visitors looking for more dedicated excavation capability, MCM showcased the Yuchai U35 Mini Excavator. MCM distributes the Yuchai equipment range in South Africa, and the U35 sits in an extremely useful size category: substantial enough to perform meaningful excavation work, but still compact compared with conventional full-size excavators.
The U35 has an operating weight of approximately 3,860 kg, uses a Yanmar 3TNV88F diesel engine producing 18.2 kW, and offers a maximum digging depth of approximately 3.17 metres and maximum digging reach of around 5.56 metres. This makes it relevant across civil works, construction, trenching, landscaping, agriculture, utilities, property development and general contracting.
The continued growth of compact excavators reflects an important shift in the South African equipment market. Customers increasingly want machines that can deliver genuine production without automatically moving into the cost, logistics and fuel requirements associated with substantially larger equipment. The U35 is a good example of that middle ground.
HZM SK1100: Built for Contractors Who Need More Hydraulic Muscle
At the heavier end of MCM’s skid-steer offering, the HZM SK1100 Skid Steer brought another dimension to the display. Where the MS33 focuses on compact access and versatility, the SK1100 steps into a larger performance category.
The machine delivers 45 kW of engine power, a 1,100 kg rated operating load and hydraulic flow of up to approximately 130 litres per minute, making it particularly relevant where higher-demand attachments and more intensive material-handling work are required. MCM positions the SK1100 for applications including construction, landscaping, forestry, logistics and agriculture.
And that is exactly why skid steers continue to earn their place in equipment fleets. They are not designed to do only one thing exceptionally well. They are designed to keep doing different things. For contractors trying to maximise the utilisation of every machine they own, that matters.
MCM 9-Series Front End Loaders: Moving More Material
No machinery showcase aimed at South African agriculture and construction would be complete without front-end loaders. The MCM 9-Series represents MCM’s own-brand wheel loader range, spanning compact and mid-sized machines aimed at customers involved in farming, construction, material handling and industrial applications. The range allows customers to select a loader according to the work rather than forcing one machine into every application.
Across the 9-Series, buyers can move from smaller machines suited to farms, yards and lighter material handling through to larger loaders with substantially greater bucket capacity and rated load capability. The current range extends from machines such as the compact MCM 912, with a rated load around 800 kg, through several intermediate models to machines such as the MCM 928, offering approximately 2,800 kg rated capacity and a 1.4 m³ bucket.
That breadth is important. A poultry operation, feedlot, construction yard, sand supplier and earthmoving contractor may all need a front-end loader — but they do not necessarily need the same front-end loader. MCM’s objective is therefore increasingly to help customers right-size the machine to the application. That means considering the material being handled, required bucket capacity, operating surface, available space, hydraulic requirements, daily production targets and overall cost of ownership before selecting equipment.
And Then a Robot Walked onto the Stand…
Among all the diesel engines, buckets, tracks, tyres and hydraulic systems, MCM had one more surprise waiting for KragDag visitors. The Unitree Go2 Quadruped Robot. And it did exactly what MCM hoped it would do: it made people stop. It made people smile. And then it made people ask questions.
The Go2 is a compact four-legged robotic platform produced by Unitree Robotics. Depending on configuration, the platform combines highly dynamic electric actuators with advanced onboard computing, cameras and LiDAR-based environmental perception. Unitree lists the standard Go2 at approximately 15 kg, with a standing size of roughly 70 cm × 31 cm × 40 cm. Its sensing technology includes Unitree’s wide-field LiDAR system together with an HD camera, allowing the platform to perceive and respond to its surrounding environment.
But specifications only tell part of the story. For many KragDag visitors, seeing a quadruped robot moving naturally amongst people transforms robotics from something seen on YouTube, television or overseas technology exhibitions into something real. Something standing directly in front of them.
The Go2’s charm made it an instant crowd magnet, but behind the entertainment value lies a much bigger technology story. Quadruped robots are increasingly being developed as mobile platforms for sensing, research, education, inspection, artificial intelligence and autonomous navigation. The ability to move on four articulated legs allows this class of robot to negotiate environments very differently from conventional wheeled machines.
For MCM, bringing the Go2 to KragDag was therefore deliberately symbolic. The MCM of the future will not only be about machines that move earth. It will increasingly also be about machines that collect data, perceive their surroundings, work with artificial intelligence and perform tasks autonomously.
From Hydraulics to Artificial Intelligence
At first glance, placing a Unitree robot next to a TLB might appear unusual. In reality, the technologies are becoming increasingly connected. Construction, agriculture, mining and industrial operations are entering a period in which conventional machinery, autonomous systems, sensors, computer vision, artificial intelligence and robotics will increasingly operate alongside one another.
A loader will still need to move material. An excavator will still need to dig. A skid steer will still need to power attachments. But the way these machines are monitored, controlled, maintained and ultimately operated is changing. That makes KragDag’s combination of agriculture, construction, technology and entrepreneurship particularly relevant to MCM’s longer-term direction. KragDag itself specifically includes robotics, machinery, construction and technologically innovative agricultural solutions within the scope of its exhibitions.
The MCM stand therefore represented two worlds. On one side stood proven mechanical productivity: diesel engines, hydraulic pumps, steel buckets and machines designed to work. On the other stood the beginnings of something very different: perception systems, artificial intelligence and embodied robotics. The important point is that MCM does not see those worlds as competitors. They are going to converge.
More Than Selling Machines
Trade exhibitions remain important because equipment is ultimately a physical business. Specifications matter. Photographs matter. Videos matter. But standing next to a machine, climbing onto it, looking at its construction, discussing the application and talking directly to someone who understands the equipment still matters enormously. That is one of the reasons MCM continues to invest in events such as KragDag.
MCM today supplies construction, agricultural and industrial equipment across South Africa, with a product portfolio ranging from TLBs, loaders, excavators and skid steers through to forklifts, lifting equipment, attachments and specialised machinery. Its broader brand portfolio includes MCM’s own machinery as well as equipment from manufacturers including Yuchai and HZM. Through MCM Robotics, the Group is simultaneously moving into a new generation of technology built around advanced robotic platforms. KragDag 2026 gave MCM the opportunity to put both sides of that story together.
Thank You, KragDag 2026
Most importantly, MCM would like to thank every customer, farmer, contractor, family, entrepreneur, equipment enthusiast and future robot operator who visited the stand. The conversations are what make exhibitions worthwhile. Some visitors came looking for their next machine. Others wanted to compare specifications. Some wanted advice about starting or expanding a contracting business. And plenty simply wanted to meet the robot. All were welcome.
MCM also congratulates the KragDag organisers on once again bringing together an extraordinary cross-section of South African businesses, innovators and members of the public around practical solutions, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
For MCM, the message leaving KragDag 2026 is simple: We are still building machines. We are still backing farmers and contractors. We are still focused on equipment that works. But we are also looking firmly towards what comes next. From the 27X Jack Russell Mini TLB to the Unitree Go2 Quadruped Robot, the machinery industry is changing. And MCM intends to be part of that change.
MCM — Built for the Work. Ready for the Future.
For more information on MCM construction, agricultural and industrial equipment, browse the range online or contact your nearest MCM branch. For information on the Unitree Go2 and MCM’s growing robotics offering, visit MCM Robotics.
