Safal Steel

What Safal Steel does

Safal Steel (Pty) Ltd, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Durban, South Africa, is the sole manufacturer of Aluminium-Zinc (AZ) coated steel coils in Southern Africa. The company operates a vertically integrated, R1.5 billion state-of-the-art coating facility in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal, incorporating a cold rolling mill, an Aluminium-Zinc coating line and a colour coating line. Its core technology is a patented 55% Aluminium, 43.5% Zinc, 1.5% Silicon alloy coating licensed from BIEC International Inc., which the company holds the exclusive rights to produce in the region. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Safal Group, a diversified conglomerate headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Safal Steel's product portfolio is built around the Zincal® metallic finish substrate, which is sold directly or further processed into pre-painted variants: Colorplus® (with Matt, Textured and Ultima sub-lines for different aesthetic and durability requirements), Optima® (an affordable single-coat option) and Dumuzas® (a branded retail roof sheet). Products carry technical claims of up to 4x longer service life than galvanised steel, 63% solar heat reflectance, and up to 95% manufacturing waste recycling, and have been validated through multiple SAISC Steel Awards and the 2023 Steel Awards preferred-choice recognition.

The business operates a B2B sales-led model targeting architects, specifiers, contractors and developers in the construction industry, with a downstream channel ecosystem of approved roll-formers (Safintra, Global Roofing Solutions, Clotan Steel, Macsteel) that convert coils into profiles for installation. A secondary retail channel sells Dumuzas® through hardware stores for the residential SMB segment. Enterprise revenue is generated via quotation-based pricing for large commercial projects (warehouses, distribution centres, retail, manufacturing, education), and the company also provides provisional and final warranty services for registered products. Named enterprise customers include Pick n Pay, Balwin Properties, Shoprite Group, DSV, Goldwagen, Bakers Transport, Aquelle, Curro Holdings and Zenprop. The company employs 251–500 people and serves both South African and export markets.

Name

Safal Steel

Legal name

Safal Steel (PTY) Ltd

Website

https://safalsteel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Safal Steel is the sole manufacturer of Aluminium-Zinc coated steel coils in Southern Africa, producing Zincal®, Colorplus®, Optima® and Dumuzas® coated and pre-painted steel products for roofing and cladding. It serves enterprise construction customers via B2B direct sales and approved roll-formers, plus residential consumers through hardware retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coated Steel Manufacturing

NAICS

Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551), Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322), Rolling and Drawing of Purchased Steel (33122)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Coated & Plated Steel (Galvanized, Galvalume, Tinplate, Electrogalvanized, Color-Coated) (IMAKABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metal Roofing & Wall Panels (Architectural/Structural) (IMADACAG), Metal Cladding, Soffits & Trim (Non-Panel Components) (IMADACAM)

Keywords

• Aluminium-zinc coated steel
• Pre-painted steel coils
• Roofing and cladding steel
• Steel coil manufacturing
• Cold rolled coated steel

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coated Steel Coil Sales: Sale of aluminium-zinc coated steel coils (Zincal®) and pre-painted variants (Colorplus®, Optima®) to contractors, architects, and developers for roofing and cladding applications.
2. Branded Retail Products: Dumuzas® branded roof sheets sold through leading hardware retail stores for domestic applications.
3. Warranty Services: Provisional and final warranty services provided for registered products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Safal Steel manufactures and supplies Aluminium-Zinc coated steel coils and factory pre-painted coated steel products for roofing, cladding, and walling applications. Its portfolio spans metallic-coated coils (Zincal®) and pre-painted variants (Colorplus®, Colorplus® Ultima, Colorplus® Matt, Colorplus® Textured, Optima®), plus consumer-facing branded roof sheets (Dumuzas®). Products are sold to architects, contractors, developers, and roll-formers in the construction industry, and through hardware retail stores for the domestic market.

Product overview

Safal Steel is the sole manufacturer of Aluminium-Zinc coated steel coils in Southern Africa. The company produces a portfolio of coated steel products: Zincal® serves as the metallic finish base product (Aluminium-Zinc coated coils), which is then pre-painted to create Colorplus® and its variants (Ultima for extreme conditions, Matt for smoother finish, Textured for architectural applications). Optima® offers an affordable single-coat colour-coated alternative. Dumuzas® is a consumer-facing branded roofing sheet product for domestic retail markets. The coating technology uses a patented 55% Aluminium, 43.5% Zinc and 1.5% Silicon alloy licensed from BIEC International Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zincal®: Metallic finish material - Aluminium-Zinc coated steel coils sold as Zincal®.
• Colorplus®
• Colorplus® Matt
• Colorplus® Textured
• Colorplus® Ultima
• Optima®
• Dumuzas®

Products and services

• Zincal® Aluminium-Zinc coated steel coils (55% Al, 43.5% Zn, 1.5% Si) providing corrosion protection with up to 4x longer service life than conventional galvanized steel. Sold as the metallic finish base substrate for roofing and cladding applications to contractors, architects, and developers.
• Colorplus® Factory pre-painted Zincal® coated steel in vibrant colours, developed for South Africa's harshest climates. Premium pre-painted coated steel product offering superior thermal protection, durability, and aesthetic appeal for roofing and cladding.
• Colorplus® Ultima Premium Colorplus® variant with AZ200 coating thickness designed to increase the lifespan of roofing products in extreme conditions such as maritime salt-laden or aggressive industrial environments.
• Colorplus® Matt Colorplus® variant with a smoother matt finish and natural effect, offering a subtler visual statement. Available in various colours with matt coating finish for roofing and cladding applications.
• Colorplus® Textured Colorplus® variant with a sophisticated textured finish favoured by architects, offering distinctive aesthetic appeal with durable coating properties for roofing and cladding applications.
• Optima® Affordable single-coat painted steel product for benign corrosive environments. Inspired by the vibrant colours of Africa, Optima® uses Zincal® as substrate with added colour coating for durable, cost-effective roofing solutions.
• Dumuzas® Branded high tensile steel roof sheets with protective AZ coating for domestic roofing and walling applications. Sold through hardware retail stores in two profiles, three thicknesses (0.30, 0.40, 0.47mm), and standard stock lengths for retail purchase.
• Provisional and Final Warranty Services Provisional and final warranty services provided for registered Safal Steel products, including Zincal®, Colorplus®, Optima®, and Dumuzas®. Customers can register products via email to obtain warranty coverage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 4x longer service life compared to galvanized steel
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and major.

• South African Institute of Architects (SAIA)strategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Professional institute affiliation. Safal Steel is an affiliate member, providing access to architects who specify building materials.
• BIEC International Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationLicensor of 55% Aluminium, 43.5% Zinc, 1.5% Silicon coated steel technology. Safal Steel is the first and only licensed producer of this patented coating alloy in Southern Africa.
• SafintracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved roll-former that transforms Safal Steel coils into specified profiles including Saflok, Newlok, and Widedek profiles for roofing and cladding installations.
• Global Roofing SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved roll-former manufacturing Klip-Tite profiles from Safal Steel products. Supplied to major projects including Whitey Basson Distribution Centre and Table Bay Mall.
• MacsteelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSteel service centre that roll-forms products from Safal Colorplus achieving excellent results. Partner for projects including Aquelle Bottling Plant.
• Clotan SteelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved roll-former that manufactured Clotan Kraftlock profile for Goldwagen Distribution Warehouse project using Safal Colorplus.
• Fortress REITmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty developer that commissioned major distribution centre projects including Pick n Pay Eastport and Goldwagen warehouse. Development partner for large-scale commercial projects.
• Pick n PaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor retail customer for whom Safal Steel is sole supplier to the Eastport distribution centre (R2.0 billion development).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BlueScope Steel: Australian global steel major and a fellow BIEC International AZ-coating technology licensee (Zincalume®) — operates the same proprietary coating chemistry as Safal and competes in pre-painted coated steel (Colorbond®) across multiple continents.
• Tata Steel: Global integrated steel producer with a substantial coated steel portfolio (Colorcoat® pre-painted steel) targeting construction and roofing applications — comparable product set, brand architecture and channel approach to Safal's Colorplus® range.
• POSCO: South Korean integrated steel giant with extensive coated and pre-painted steel product lines for construction and appliances; competes in global coated-steel trade flows that can reach African markets and pressure regional pricing.
• Voestalpine: Austrian steel major with a significant coated steel and metal building solutions portfolio (e.g., voestalpine Krems final products) serving construction — comparable in vertical integration from steel substrate through coated/finished building components.

Direct peers

• Global Roofing Solutions: Approved roll-former of Safal Steel's Klip-Tite 700 profile used on landmark projects (Shoprite, Table Bay Mall) — competing roofing solutions manufacturer in the South African market with direct specification overlap.
• Clotan Steel: South African steel processor and approved roll-former (Kraftlock profile) that uses Safal Colorplus® and competing coated coil substrates — directly comparable as a downstream roll-forming competitor purchasing from the same supplier pool.
• BSi Steel: South African steel service centre and distributor supplying coated, galvanized and pre-painted steel to construction and industrial customers — competes with Safal Steel through service centre channels for coil and sheet buyers.
• ArcelorMittal South Africa: Largest steel producer in South Africa producing flat steel products including galvanized and colour-coated coils for construction and industrial markets — directly competing with Safal Steel in the regional coated-steel category.
• Macsteel: South Africa's largest steel service centre and a publicly cited roll-former of Safal Colorplus®; also distributes competing coated and galvanized coil products — directly comparable as a steel-product channel competitor in the region.
• Safintra: Sister company under the Safal Group and one of Safal Steel's largest approved roll-formers, transforming Safal coils into Saflok/Newlok/Widedek profiles — closest channel-aligned peer and proxy for downstream demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SafalSteelSA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safal Steel