26 / 40
November 2015
Doors, Windows, Floors & Walls
Capital, a Johannesburg-based pri-
vate equity firm, which through their
Kubu Fund, has a major stake in the
Skyward Group.
Jimerson says, “An energy effi-
cient home creates tangible savings
for people faced with affordability
issues – and Skyward’s focus has al-
ways been on finding ways to enable
affordable housing to be both built
and bought. To expand Skyward’s
ability to do this, we are enhancing
the company’s portfolio of products
and services by creating greater syn-
ergies among our various offerings.
Our new windows division achieves
this on many different fronts.”
He explains, “This enables us to
eliminate the cost of importing the
uPVC windows for our own housing
projects, making them more afford-
able. By being the largest and most
sophisticated local manufacturer of
double glazed uPVC windows and
doors of the correct specifications,
we are now a preferred supplier to
construction companies andproperty
managers needing to complywith en-
ergy efficiency legislation. This will all
contribute to our economies of scale,
with the cost benefits again flowing
through to the consumer.”
Jimerson comments, “At the same
time, Skyward Windows creates jobs
through the new factory anddevelops
skills through the application locally
of world class technologies. Wemake
a contribution towards reducing
South Africa’s reliance on imports.
And, we reduce carbon footprints for
Energy efficient dou
I
n setting up its Skyward Windows
division, the Skyward Group (for-
merly Matlapeng Housing) has
partnered with a number of interna-
tional companies in order to bring to
South Africa the highly specialised
equipment, software, and expertise
needed to manufacture the energy
efficient doors and windows. The
factory will be located in Atlantis,
Cape Town.
Skyward Windows partners in-
clude Pavlu Complex, a Czech turn-
key engineering firm experienced in
setting up such factories, Aluplast, a
specialist producer of uPVC profiles
formulated for the harsh African en-
vironment, GU, a leading European
manufacturer of sophisticated lock-
ing and hardware systems, and Klaes,
the leadingGermandoor andwindow
manufacturing software supplier.
The combined expertise of the
various companies ensures that the
windows will be produced to world
class standards and meet the speci-
fications of SANS 10400XA, which is
themost recent amendment to South
Africa’s national building regulations.
The amendment sets a new standard
for thermal and solar efficiency in
glazing in buildings. It requires that
all windows installed innewbuildings
as well as renovated ones be energy
efficient. Double glazing is the easiest
and, often, the only way to achieve
compliance with the new standard.
“Skyward has used the uPVC win-
dows in its own affordable housing
developments in the Northern Cape
because of the significant benefits
for homeowners,” says Will Jimerson,
Director and Co-founder of Musa
The Skyward Group provides innovative solutions for
the delivery of housing and is breaking new ground by
producing double glazed uPVC doors and windows,
which are manufactured locally.