Cladding
Since 1998 First African has been providing quality signage to leading brands throughout Africa. In 2012 a decision was made to also start looking into the building cladding market.
Cladding is the application of any material over the external skin of a building. It does not only boost the aesthetic appeal of a building but also protects it from natural elements like wind and rain. Other benefits include insulation and noise reduction. This industry felt like a natural extension of our existing business and our cladding team has steadily grown since then.
We are proud to have successfully transformed multiple buildings, retail shopping malls, offices, banks, car dealerships, hospitals, schools, universities, sporting facilities, airports, commercial buildings and even housing developments. We have gained experience in the use of a vast variety of raw materials like aluminium composite material, fibre cement, aluminium mesh, sun louvers, screens and perforated panels.
The installations include facades, ventilated facades, ceilings and columns manufactured and installed to give life to the client and architect’s vision.
We offer our cladding clients consultative, design, prototyping, custom manufacturing, installation and maintenance services.
Analyse, Design and Engineering
At First African, the sales process begins with us thoroughly understanding the vision you have for your project, as well as your goals and your budget. Our sales executives are specialists in taking your vision from concept to reality. Our consultative services include preliminary surveys, drawings, and budget estimates.
During the design phase, our professional in-house design team will prepare a conceptual drawing that includes critical dimensions, material specifications, fastening methods and design concepts.
Using our extensive knowledge of and experience in local and international engineering standards, we are able to supply cladding designs that materialize your vision while complying with all regulations.
Our designers will work closely with your guidelines and your design team to realize your vision. 3D CAD and product life cycle management software are utilised to manage and protect your data throughout the different design phases.
We also believe in designating a specific project manager to your project. This ensures a personal touch and continuity throughout the project. It also prevents miscommunication and unnecessary delays.
Prototyping and Building
Before moving into production, we complete prototyping to test and optimize your design. This includes tests on illumination, structures, ease of assembly and ease of maintenance. Only after a full design review and optimization, products are ready for manufacturing.
Our manufacturing facility is ISO certified and all manufacturing is done according to these standards. We are accustomed to manufacturing for both unique, once-off projects as well as for larger retail projects.
We believe in using advanced equipment including routers, metal shears, folding machines and channel letter machinery. This allows us to continually improve product quality and production techniques.
Installation
We have installation crews across Africa and have resources available to handle installations of all sizes and complexity levels. All installation teams participate in ongoing safety and installation training and our fleet boast vehicles that are on strict maintenance schedules.
For large scale projects requiring multinational installations, our project managers have established relationships with top tier installation companies within Africa.
Want to know more?
Have a look at our services to see how we can help you.