ALCLAD SHOPFITTING: Alclad Steps into a Stronger Future

Since its foundation in 1968, Alclad Shopfitters has steadily built more than shelving and display units — the company has constructed a reputation. Over decades, the Johannesburg-based firm has grown from its modest roots fitting out budget shoe stores to become Africa’s premier provider of complete shopfitting solutions.

Today, with a 13,000 m² manufacturing facility in Johannesburg, warehousing in Durban and Cape Town, and a workforce of over 200 (including on-site contractors) Alclad delivers turnkey fitouts across South Africa and beyond. “Since 1968, we’ve delivered 16,000+ installations across 23 countries, partnering with leading brands and businesses to bring their vision to life,” says Managing Director Craig Wilson.

Alclad’s core business encompasses manufacturing shopfitting materials, installing infrastructure and providing full turnkey solutions — targeting both the retail and commercial property sectors. Its scale and scope, particularly in large-volume, multi-store roll-outs, distinguishes it from many peers.

BUILT TO LAST

The nature of shopfitting — the design, manufacturing and installation of fixtures, fittings and store interiors — demands a rare blend of craftsmanship, consistency and logistical agility. It all forms part of an organisation’s wider strategy.

Alclad’s 13,000 m² Johannesburg plant is the heart of this operation, a facility that Wilson describes as “driven by technology”, backed by robust quality control and “lean thinking” manufacturing practices.

The Alclad network extends beyond manufacturing: warehousing in South Africa’s major metro centres, regional installation and project-management teams, and a nationwide pool of contractors ready to execute projects wherever they arise. This structure allows the company to fulfil demanding roll-out schedules — sometimes installing more than two stores per day — without sacrificing quality or deadlines.

That consistency is no accident. “We are very system driven as a business,” says Wilson. “We believe that sets us apart. We employ a lot of technology and we drive our business with an ERP system from end-to-end, and that gives us reliable data to give to our clients and manage our own processes.” 

THROUGH TOUGH TIMES 

Despite sustained early success, the road has not always been smooth. The recent commercial atmosphere has tested many manufacturers in South Africa, and Alclad has not been spared. “The last few years have been quite tough,” admits Wilson. “The economy in South Africa has not been what we would like it to be – it has been quite depressed, and that has created a tough trading environment.” 

He points to two challenges in particular. The first is the infamous load-shedding which affects factories’ ability to run machinery reliably. “Load-shedding is a big problem for the manufacturing sector,” he says. 

Sector-wide reports confirm this unwelcome disruption: persistent power interruptions have disrupted production schedules, delayed deliveries and undermined confidence in South Africa’s manufacturing base. 

The second blow came with the global Covid-19 pandemic. For a company with Alclad’s retail and hospitality involvement, and bigger ambitions, the social and financial impact was severe. “Covid was a major challenge, particularly in a business that employs the number of people that we do. It really put a strain on our cash resources,” Wilson says. 

Faced with these external pressures — lacklustre economic growth, energy uncertainty, and pandemic-era disruption — Alclad decided it was time for strategic overhaul. 

REJUVENATION STRATEGY 

The pivot has come in the form of a formal turnaround plan, executed in partnership with a growth consultancy and accelerator firm. According to Wilson, they are in the first year of a two-year process. The early signs, he says, “are starting to show signs of working.”

At the heart of the repositioning is a renewed marketing push — something the company had previously under-invested in. “We have addressed our marketing position heavily in the past year,” Wilson explains. That shift is designed not simply to persist within current conditions, but “surviving and then thriving in Africa.” 

Strategically, that ambition means looking beyond traditional retail roll-outs. While retail remains the core, Alclad sees growing opportunity in the hospitality and hotel sector — especially as African economies recover and expand. Wilson says: “We have worked extensively in Africa, across 15 countries and we are always looking for opportunities on the continent. The hospitality industry continues to develop aggressively. That is something that we have already done in South Africa, and we think that is where the opportunity lies in Africa.”

That pivot reflects a broader trend in African manufacturing. As global supply-chain pressures, logistics bottlenecks and rising input costs weigh on imports, locally produced fittings and furniture are seeing renewed demand. 

For Alclad, the task is to marry its traditional strengths — repeatable quality, large-scale manufacturing, dependable delivery, nationwide presence — with a more outward-looking, diversified business model.

THE ALCLAD DIFFERENCE 

Part of Alclad’s strength lies in how seriously it takes supply-chain partnerships. Wilson is clear: “We have a very strong supply chain in the manufacturing part of our business and some long-standing relationships which are symbiotic.” 

When it comes to sourcing raw materials and components, only a handful of suppliers in South Africa offer the scale and reliability needed. Senior management reviews each new supplier decision carefully. On the installation side, Alclad’s delivery capabilities rely on a “vast range of contractors nationwide that we call on to deliver our product” — a network built over decades that gives flexibility and depth.

But perhaps their most visible differentiator in recent years has been energy resilience. Wilson points to the company’s early adoption of solar energy: “We have embraced the energy transition and we have 420 solar panels on our factory.” 

That investment was not a branding exercise, but a defensive strategy born out of necessity — power instability from Eskom had made uninterrupted production untenable. Even so, Alclad is not resting on that. Wilson says the firm is evaluating a substantial expansion: more solar panels and battery storage to provide backup energy — a significant investment in the long-term viability of the business.

In a sector where deadlines and consistency matter deeply, that kind of energy security is a real competitive edge.

It also speaks to a broader reality confronting many manufacturers in South Africa today: scaling up production amid unreliable grid infrastructure and rising costs is increasingly risky — unless you can manage your own power, supply chain and capacity. 

TURNKEY PROMISE

What emerges from Alclad’s story is a rare offering: a turnkey, pan-African shopfitter capable of managing every phase of design, manufacture, logistics and installation — and increasingly, energy. For clients — whether a growing retail chain, a hotel group launching multiple properties, or a corporate office roll-out — that matters. They get consistency across geography, brand-level quality control, and a single point of contact.

“We are shopfitters, manufacturers of shopfitting material, and installers of infrastructure. We offer a full turnkey service and we are proven with a range of clients,” Wilson reiterates.

Over more than 50 years, Alclad has earned that reputation, balancing craftsmanship and scale. And even as South Africa’s manufacturing sector grapples with macroeconomic headwinds, energy instability and rising input costs, the company is proactively adapting.

For businesses looking to launch or expand across the continent, Alclad’s offering remains compelling — full-service, Africa-ready, and anchored in decades of delivery. For Craig Wilson and his team, the goal is not just to ride out the current storm, but to emerge stronger, more agile and more relevant than ever.

“We have a turnaround strategy that we are busy with at present,” Wilson emphasises. “That is more than enough to deal with for the business just now.” 

Alclad’s journey is proof that in a continent where expansion, logistics and reliability are all negotiable, having a single trusted partner who can deliver — on spec, on budget, on time — still counts.