“Origin of Paint”
Rock art and cave paintings across Africa serves as proof of our indigenous ancestors’ desire and passion to express individuality through creativity.
Early cave dwellers became paint pioneers when they perfected the process of identifying and extracting naturally occurring dyes from vegetation, finely crushed plant matter and iron oxides from rock formations and mixing it with water, before painting onto cave walls. Excavation and the primitive processing of natural minerals such as specularite and hematite for skin decoration and rock paintings date as far back as 43 000 years ago, where evidence has been found through carbon dating, that the ancestors of the San tribe, in the Lion Cavern in Swaziland, were excavating and processing these minerals!
“Product innovation and service philosophy”
We at Africote, strive to encapsulate this natural essence, by incorporating into our products the very ingredients, that Mother Earth continues to offer today, as she did then. In addition, Africote utilizes the latest modern coatings technology and an advanced manufacturing facility to produce a leading range of cementitious and conventional acrylic and enamel coatings. Africote employs experts in the areas of testing and developing new application systems and products. For the home owner, designer or architect, who desires to add value to his or her residence or commercial building, whether for interior or exterior applications, Africote’s marketing team not only stands ready to assist with innovation and diversity, but also ensures that the same high level of service is offered at all levels, from the individual customer to project managers of large construction sites.
“Africote strives to manufacture eco friendly products”
We are extremely mindful of damage to the environment, which can be caused by V.O.C’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), toxic metals and other harmful substances, often found in traditional coatings. We strive to develop and produce eco-friendly products, limiting V.O.C.’s and wherever possible use natural materials. Several of our acrylic coatings are considered eco-friendly due to their low V.O.C levels, being below 200 grams per litre. Our Cement Naturals and Kolorcote-T coatings contain zero V.O.C. products and are therefore extremely eco-friendly! Africote is passionate about the well-being of our planet. Africote has a range of SABS and Agrément quality assurance certificates for several of its cement and acrylic based coatings.