SUPERTEC: Service With No Ceiling

A good ceiling is the part of a building nobody thinks about. It hides the services, softens the sound and sits exactly where it should, and only draws attention when something goes wrong. Making that kind of quiet quality possible for contractors across the country is the business of Supertec Ceilings & Drywall, a South African manufacturer and distributor of ceiling, partitioning and acoustic products for the construction and property maintenance industries.

From a base in Alrode, Alberton, the company supplies ceiling grid and tiles, drywall stud and track, gypsum, fire-rated and moisture-resistant board, insulation, and the screws, anchors and plasters that hold a system together. It is the exclusive distributor of Rockfon acoustic stone wool ceilings in Southern Africa and a major supplier of brands including Gyproc, Knauf Ceiling Solutions, Etex, Fabufill, Casofour and OMV Metacote. Its work ranges from KFC outlets to Knauf metal baffles at South32 and acoustic baffles and bulkheads at Momentum’s head office in Centurion.

“We were established in 2008. We have 250 people spread all across South Africa,” says Managing Director Danie Pretorius. “We have seen some steady growth year-on-year, over and above price increases so we are in a very fortunate position compared to others in the industry. We have seen volume growth which has not come from any expansion but rather growing our customer base.”

The man steering that growth has spent his working life in interior systems. “I started in the industry in 1998 at Macsteel Interior Systems. I was a distribution manager, progressing to become the logistics manager. In 2008, I left when the company was acquired by Lafarge. I re-joined Macsteel as a general manager across various divisions until 2015 when the owners of Supertec approached me to lead this business for them,” he says.

One decision along the way was to rename the business. “We changed the name from Supertec Ceilings and Board to Supertec Ceilings and Drywall because people were often confused and would associate us with chipboard or MDF board. We feel the new name is a better representation of what we do,” says Pretorius.

BEYOND PRICE

Property costs continue to climb. Industry analysis shows construction input costs up 4.3% between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, with further diesel increases expected as the US-Iran conflict unsettles fuel markets. Industry experts continue to warn that delivery momentum could stall unless firms tighten internal controls and build structures that let them adjust quickly. In a squeeze like that, a supplier’s advantage lies in how it behaves.

“The market is extremely competitive, and our situation is that every competitor can match price, quality or service, and we are now competing beyond all of those metrics,” admits Pretorius. “You have to be able to bring something else to the customer. It’s about personal relationships, inventory availability, technical expertise, people with integrity; price, quality and service allows you to sit at the table and negotiate. Now, we have to differentiate to ensure the customer procures from us. That is the biggest challenge as we have to add more value.”

McKinsey’s analysis of 102 listed building materials companies found that operating model and execution separated the best performers far more than the end markets they served. “It is critical for us to keep existing customers happy while continuing to grow the customer base. We have to ensure we deliver a great customer experience and that is always our focus,” says Pretorius.

Supertec’s own factory in Alrode lets it respond to what a project demands, and its in-house Solid Lock access flooring system is designed to interchange with other systems on the market, alongside magnesium, gypsum, cement fibre and mineral fibre board cladding. “We have our own manufacturing facility available and the flexibility that gives us plays a massive role in our offerings to customers,” says Pretorius.

“We have recently launched a range of acoustic wall panels which have become very popular. I believe we are the only company in South Africa that is manufacturing those products locally with everyone else importing from China,” says Pretorius. The panels pair wooden slats with formaldehyde-free, sound-absorbing polyester felt for offices. “We have recently expanded into wooden flooring and we have a product line moving,” he adds. “We are looking at expanding into shopfront aluminium casement window sections in the next six months, adding to our range and aligning with our slogan of ‘transforming interior spaces’.”

EMPOWERED PEOPLE

Core to the company’s success has been good people, doing the right things, consistently. “The key thing is to empower people. You have to work with your people, and leadership is all about empowering those people, making sure they have the necessary tools. I believe that I work for our people rather than the other way around. I must ensure they have all of the resources to make their jobs happen,” says Pretorius. That philosophy shows in a company with few layers between a customer’s question and an answer.

“We have a very flat structure, and we believe in giving all of our people decision making capability. That is critical and the decision-making power should be at the right level because customers cannot wait for answers from someone else – that is something we get right more often than not,” says Pretorius. “We are firm believers in enthusiasm, integrity, and energy – those are key aspects that our people should have and contribute to the way we approach our customers.” Industry commentators argue that construction growth matters only when it translates into stable work, skills retention and predictable careers.

“We have a range of suppliers, and we have great relationships across the board,” says Pretorius of external relations, summating that working with other businesses should be the same as working internally. “We don’t believe in supplier-customer relationships, but we prefer to operate as partners. If we can’t add value and make our customers successful, then we have no role to play in the industry.

“Where possible, we support local – that is critically important for us,” he continues. “The only time we look for international procurement is when we are not competitive. Helping the SA economy, creating jobs directly and indirectly, is something we see as critical in our growth. The more jobs we can help to create and support, the more domestic spending there will be and that is a catalyst for more demand in the economy which helps us to grow,” says Pretorius, highlighting the need for economic and market growth. Creamer Media’s Construction 2024/25 report blamed the sector’s long decline partly on unsustainable price wars and late payment by public-sector clients.

STEADY EXPANSION

In the past 10 years, Supertec’s growth has been significant, adding new branches and expanding its manufacturing capability to accommodate an ever-growing customer base.

“I have now been here for a decade and when I joined, we had one manufacturing facility and branches in Wynberg and Troyeville. We have grown to have seven Gauteng branches, two Cape Town branches, and branches in KZN, Nelspruit, and Bloemfontein,” says Pretorius, highlighting a portfolio that is now home to 12 branches and a large fleet of delivery vehicles serving contractors and developers across Southern Africa.

Conditions are improving, slowly. The FNB-BER Civil Confidence Index showed 52% of civil engineering contractors confident at the end of last year, GlobalData has forecast construction growth driven by renewable energy, transport and industrial infrastructure, and BetterBond reports home loan applications up 12.3% since rate cuts began in late 2023. “They must be flexible – the world is changing fast and working with rigid systems no longer works. Ultimately, we want to be chosen as the preferred partner for ceiling and partition products, and any company that can help us achieve that is certainly who we want to talk to,” says Pretorius of the company’s partners who allow Supertec to remain agile in a world of constant change.

McKinsey found that companies focused on one subsegment and its close adjacencies delivered average shareholder returns six percentage points higher than diversified peers, a profile that Supertec’s linked range of ceilings, partitions, acoustics and flooring resembles. The same research found that return on invested capital among light building materials players slipped from about 24 to 20% between 2022 and 2024 as interest rates and construction costs rose, which makes focus all the more valuable.

“When we talk internally, we always talk simply about ensuring we create great customer experiences. When our teams are working with customers and have that in mind, that should guide their decision making. I always remind our teams that we must think about what our customers say about us at the Friday night braai. How helpful and accommodating were we? Are they recommending us to friends? We must create a great customer experience, and that is the message we continue to put out to our teams as we move forward with growing this company,” says Pretorius.

Most building occupants will almost never think about the ceiling above them, and the contractors who fitted it will remember only whether the delivery arrived on time and in full and the advice was sound. With 250 people, 12 branches in five provinces, its own factory and a growing local product range, Supertec is building a reputation on exactly that.