Algoa Brick
Algoa Brick manufactures clay bricks at two Swartkops, Gqeberha facilities with 45 million brick-equivalents of annual capacity, supplying construction companies, builders, architects, homeowners, and affordable-housing developers across the Eastern Cape and Southern Cape of South Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Algoa Brick does
Algoa Brick is a South African clay brick manufacturer headquartered in Swartkops, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape, with company roots dating to 1945 and its current corporate form originating in 2002. It operates two tunnel-kiln production facilities with a combined annual capacity of 45 million brick equivalents — the biggest plaster brick (NFP) production footprint in the Eastern Cape. The product portfolio spans plaster bricks in NFP and NFX grades in standard, Maxi 90 and SuperMaxi 90 sizes, plus FBA semi-face and FBS face bricks; the company also distributes complementary face bricks such as Makana Ironspot Clinker.
Manufacturing is built around clay sourcing from the onsite Sundays River formation quarry, followed by grinding, milling, extrusion, tunnel drying with recycled heat, and tunnel-kiln firing at approximately 950°C. Algoa has invested in energy and water efficiency — including high-efficiency Bernini oil burners, a biomass firing system now running on roughly 20% renewable fuel mix, and a multi-faceted water management programme — yielding carbon emissions 20% below sector average, energy use 6% below, and water consumption 45% below sector averages over the past 15 years. It was the first brick manufacturer in South Africa approved for the section 12L energy-efficiency tax incentive.
Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales to construction companies, builders, contractors, architects, and homeowners, channelled primarily via a regional agent-and-stockist network across the Eastern Cape and Southern Cape. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company supports customers with costing sheets, an online brick calculator, technical literature, and CPD-registered architect presentations on SANS building standards. Algoa also engages in community outreach (Mining Forum SMME Hive, Khayalethu Youth Centre, Emmanuel Haven, Zwartkops Conservancy cleanups) and hosts NMU Construction Management student tours, positioning sustainability and local economic development as core brand pillars under the leadership of Managing Director Nico Mienie.
Algoa Brick firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Algoa Brick
- Legal name
- Algoa Clay Brick
- Website
- https://algoabrick.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Algoa Brick manufactures clay bricks at two Swartkops, Gqeberha facilities with 45 million brick-equivalents of annual capacity, supplying construction companies, builders, architects, homeowners, and affordable-housing developers across the Eastern Cape and Southern Cape of South Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Algoa Brick industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clay bricks and masonry building materials
- NAICS
- Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing (3271)
- SIC
- Structural Clay Products (3250)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clay Bricks (Facing & Common) (IMADABAA)
Keywords
Where Algoa Brick is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Algoa Brick business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Clay brick manufacturing and sales: Algoa Brick manufactures clay bricks at its two production facilities in Swartkops, Port Elizabeth with a combined annual capacity of 45 million brick equivalents. The company produces NFP (Non-Facing Plaster) and NFX (Non-Facing Plaster Extra) plaster bricks in standard, Maxi and SuperMaxi sizes, as well as FBA and FBS face bricks. Revenue is generated through direct sales to construction companies, builders, and through a network of agents and stockists across the Eastern Cape and Southern Cape.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Algoa Brick product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Algoa Brick manufactures and supplies fired clay bricks (NFP plaster bricks, NFX plaster bricks, FBA semi-face bricks, and FBS face bricks) in standard, Maxi, and SuperMaxi sizes from two production facilities in Swartkops, Gqeberha, with a combined annual capacity of 45 million brick equivalents. The company also distributes face bricks from other manufacturers such as Makana Ironspot Clinker. Products are sold through a network of agents and stockists in the Eastern Cape and Southern Cape to construction companies, builders, contractors, architects, and home owners.
Product overview
Algoa Brick is a clay brick manufacturer supplying the Nelson Mandela Bay and Eastern Cape region. The company operates two production facilities at Swartkops, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) with a combined annual capacity of 45 million brick equivalents. Algoa manufactures NFP (Non-Facing Plaster) and NFX (Plaster Extra) plaster bricks in standard, Maxi, and SuperMaxi sizes, as well as FBA and FBS face bricks. The product portfolio includes Econo 90, Stock Plaster Brick, Maxi 90, SuperMaxi 90, NFX Plastered Brick Extra (14 and 28 MPa variants), FBA Semi-face Brick Aesthetic, and FBS Face Brick Standard. The company also distributes face bricks from other manufacturers including Makana. An online brick calculator tool is provided for customers to estimate material quantities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NFX Plastered Brick Extra
Quantifiable outcome
- Carbon emissions per tonne of salable brick are 20% below sector average
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Algoa Brick
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Algoa Brick technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Algoa Brick partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Zwartkops Conservancy and Department of Water and SanitationminorEnvironmental partnership for Mandela Day cleanup of the Motherwell Stormwater Canal and Swartkops Estuary. Algoa Brick partnered with Zwartkops Conservancy and the Department of Water and Sanitation.
- Bernini ImpianticoreItalian supplier of high-efficiency oil burners and biomass burning systems. Algoa was first brick manufacturer in South Africa approved for the 12L incentive due to improved energy efficiency from Bernini burners. In 2018, Bernini supplied a biomass-friendly firing system. In mid-2020, Bernini supplied a sawdust burning system capable of firing a complete zone of the tunnel kiln.
- Mining Forum (Port Elizabeth)coreAlgoa Brick is a member of the Mining Forum, a group of mining companies within Port Elizabeth that partner with the municipality to support local business development. Since 2009, Algoa has contributed over R120,000 towards the SMME Hive project in Motherwell.
- ACVV Khayalethu Youth CentreminorCommunity support for a residential facility for boys aged 8-18 living on the street. Algoa Brick sponsors bricks and paid for professional bricklayer services to fix an inaccessible entrance at the centre.
- Clay Brick Association of Southern Africa (CBASA)coreAlgoa Brick is a Full Member of the Clay Brick Association of Southern Africa, a non-profit education, advocacy and standards organisation. MD Nico Mienie serves as Technical Director of CBASA and has been a CBA Board member for over two decades. The association drives sustainability initiatives and develops industry standards for clay brick manufacturing and construction.
- Emmanuel Haven ProjectminorAgricultural project for children and adults with HIV/AIDS located in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth. Algoa contributed over R150,000 for workshop container, refrigerated container, and fencing.
- Nelson Mandela University (NMU)minorAlgoa Brick hosts annual tours of Construction Management students from Nelson Mandela University to learn about clay brick production processes and benefits. Supports education of young people in the area.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Algoa Brick competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Forterra: Forterra manufactures and distributes clay bricks, blocks, pavers, and other construction products, primarily in the United Kingdom. Its product mix, kiln operations, and merchant-led distribution closely resemble Algoa's business model, but at substantially greater scale and with a different geographic footprint.
- Wienerberger: Wienerberger is a global incumbent in clay building materials, including bricks, blocks, and related wall systems. It provides a useful benchmark for kiln manufacturing, energy efficiency, and construction-market exposure, but its portfolio and international scale are far broader than Algoa's.
- Brickworks Limited: Brickworks is an Australian building-products group with clay brick manufacturing and extensive distribution to residential and commercial construction customers. It is relevant for product manufacturing, resource efficiency, and channel strategy, but operates a broader portfolio across multiple regions.
- Ibstock: Ibstock is a major UK clay brick manufacturer serving housebuilders, developers, merchants, and contractors. Its manufacturing economics, product-led specification, and merchant distribution make it comparable, although it has a different geography and a much larger operating footprint.
Direct peers
- Corobrik: Corobrik is a major South African manufacturer of clay bricks and related masonry products serving builders, contractors, architects, and developers. It is Algoa's closest direct comparator by product category, manufacturing model, and construction customer base, although Corobrik operates at substantially greater national scale.
- Brikor: Brikor manufactures and distributes clay bricks, pavers, and related building products in South Africa. Its brick-production operations, hardware-sales model, and exposure to construction demand make it a direct operating peer, with a broader product and geographic footprint than Algoa.
- Makana Brick: Makana Brick is an Eastern Cape producer whose Ironspot Clinker is distributed by Algoa in Port Elizabeth. It overlaps directly in clay brick manufacturing and the same regional customer base, while its relationship with Algoa also creates a supplier-channel dynamic.
Regional players
- Cape Brick: Cape Brick manufactures clay masonry products for the Western Cape building market. It is comparable by product, customers, and production model, but its different regional focus makes it a useful geographic benchmark rather than a direct competitor in Algoa's core territory.
- Glen-Gery: Glen-Gery manufactures clay brick products for residential and commercial construction in the United States. Its kiln-based production, broad brick portfolio, and builder-facing distribution are relevant analogues, while its different market and larger scale limit direct competition with Algoa.
- Acme Brick Company: Acme Brick Company is an established US manufacturer of clay-facing and building bricks. It is directly comparable in product category and contractor-driven sales, but serves a different geography and therefore acts as a regional operating benchmark.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Algoa Brick social profiles
Digital presenceAlgoa Brick financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Algoa Brick leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Algoa Brick funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Algoa Brick M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Algoa Brick
What does Algoa Brick do?
Algoa Brick manufactures and supplies fired clay bricks (NFP plaster bricks, NFX plaster bricks, FBA semi-face bricks, and FBS face bricks) in standard, Maxi, and SuperMaxi sizes from two production facilities in Swartkops, Gqeberha, with a combined annual capacity of 45 million brick equivalents. The company also distributes face bricks from other manufacturers such as Makana Ironspot Clinker. Products are sold through a network of agents and stockists in the Eastern Cape and Southern Cape to construction companies, builders, contractors, architects, and home owners.
Is Algoa Brick a public or private company?
Algoa Brick is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Algoa Brick founded?
Algoa Brick was founded in 1945. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Algoa Brick based?
Algoa Brick is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Algoa Brick make money?
One revenue line is on record: clay brick manufacturing and sales.
Who are Algoa Brick's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Forterra, Wienerberger, Brickworks Limited and Ibstock. Direct peers are Corobrik, Brikor and Makana Brick. Regional players are Cape Brick, Glen-Gery and Acme Brick Company.
Does Algoa Brick have an API?
No public API is recorded for Algoa Brick.
What industry is Algoa Brick in?
Algoa Brick's product category is Clay bricks and masonry building materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADABAA, Clay Bricks (Facing & Common). Its NAICS code is 3271 and its SIC code is 3250.