27 Mar 2014

Fed up with buying bricks from as far as Tsabong, most residents of villages such as Struizendam, Middlepits, Bokspits, Werda and Vaalhoek in Kgalagadi South have decided to take matters into their own hands - literally.

While many people prefer to buy ready made bricks when they build houses, these residents instead prefer to buy brick moulders and build with bricks they moulded themselves. The houses built from Kgalagadi bricks are so attractive to catch the attention of passers-by.

They are done in such a way that the house does not require plastering given the decorations carved on the bricks. “We make sure that we give a customer what he/she wants,” says 40-year old Johannes Jooste who earns a living from selling brick moulders in Struizendam.

Mr Jooste says customers choose decorations they want carved on their bricks. For example, he says, if a customer wants a flower on the brick, he (Jooste) carves it on the brick moulder plate. Mr Jooste says he has to work hard to put bread on the table after he quit his job at an engineering company in Gaborone.

He says working for the engineering company was the best thing that ever happened to him because the welding experience he gained helps him to make brick moulders. He says selling brick moulders is a lucrative business because of the huge demand in his village.

They go for P350 each. His desire is to take his business to another level but that means more funds because raw materials are expensive. Mr Jooste says to build with decorated bricks is cost effective since the houses do not require plastering.

This is good for it is affordable and will help those who only dreamt of owning houses to realise their dreams. The abundance of sand in Kgalagadi is a boost to brick moulding businesses in the area and more so that bricks made from this sand are durable.   

A resident of Werda village, Mr Jaco Esterhuizen who also sells brick moulders, says even though the business has given him a boost, the downside is the long distance he has to travel to buy raw materials.

Mr Esterhuizen nonetheless plans to expand his business given the growing property market in the country which has created a huge demand for bricks. In addition to making brick moulders, he plans to do brick moulding as well and sell to the rest of the country.

“I know that people in other areas will like these bricks,” he reckons. He is in the process of applying for a commercial plot to start the business.   The bricks are made from a mixture of crushed stones, river sand and cement. Ends