Motorised Blinds South Africa

Motorised blinds in South Africa: the short answer

South Africa has two serious motorised blind ecosystems: Somfy (established, strongest for outdoor blinds and whole-home hub control) and MotionBlinds (modern, strongest for Apple households and battery retrofits). Custom Blinds works across both, advises which suits each home, and installs throughout the Garden Route. Motorisation works on roller blinds, zebra double roller blinds and outdoor blinds. We ship motorised-ready blinds nationwide.

How it feels

Motorised blinds do not announce themselves. They simply remove the small daily frictions you stopped noticing years ago. The reach, the tug, the tangled cord, the walk across the room, the worry about what happens to your patio when you are not there.

Motorised blinds in the morning

Bedroom roller blinds rise gently at 6:30. The room fills with light before the alarm sounds. No cords. No effort. Just the start of a better day.

Motorised blinds in the evening

One tap on your phone and every blind in the house closes. The living room goes quiet. The bedrooms darken. Bedtime takes care of itself.

Raise or lower motorised outdoor blinds remotely

Somfy app control. Lower or raise outdoor blinds remotely from anywhere. Your property stays managed whether you are home or away.

Motorised blinds and child safety

No dangling cords or chains anywhere in the house. Motorised blinds are the safest option for nurseries, children’s rooms and homes with pets.

Custom Blinds installations

Across the Garden Route and nationwide since 2010. We know what works.

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Motorised blind ecosystems: Somfy and MotionBlinds

Somfy and MotionBlinds. We work across both so you get unbiased advice.

4.8

Custom Blinds Google rating

Rated 4.8 on Google. Our clients trust the work.

Apple Household (iPhone, iPad, HomePod, Apple TV)

Choose Eve MotionBlinds. Native HomeKit integration means your blinds appear directly in the Apple Home app alongside lights, locks and cameras. Siri voice control works without any additional hub. Automations run locally on your Apple TV or HomePod, no cloud dependency.

Motorised blinds for a Google or Alexa household

Either system works well. Somfy TaHoma provides the deepest integration for whole-home automation including outdoor blinds with weather sensors. MotionBlinds with a Wi-Fi bridge also connects to Google Home and Alexa for voice and app control.

Why Wind Sensors Are Essential for Garden Route Awnings

A retractable awning left extended in a sudden wind event can suffer serious fabric and frame damage. On the Garden Route coast where weather conditions routinely change within minutes, particularly in spring and summer, the only reliable protection is a system that responds automatically, whether you are home or not.

Somfy’s Eolis 3D WireFree wind sensor is a wireless, battery powered device that mounts directly to the awning frame. It uses patented three dimensional detection technology, sensing horizontal, vertical, and lateral movement simultaneously, so it identifies wind generated vibration from any direction, not just direct gusts. When the detected movement exceeds your preset threshold, the motor retracts the awning or raises the blind automatically. The system monitors conditions continuously and holds the blind retracted until the wind has dropped sufficiently and stabilised. A built in battery indicator alerts you when replacement is needed.

Somfy also offers the Sunis wireless sun sensor, which lowers outdoor blinds automatically when solar intensity exceeds a set level, protecting interiors from heat and UV damage. The rain sensor completes the weather response trio, raising outdoor blinds before water saturation becomes an issue. All three sensors integrate with the Somfy TaHoma hub, so you can monitor the current state of every outdoor screen and awning from the TaHoma app, anywhere in the world.

Garden Route recommendation: Every retractable awning we install on the coast is specified with at minimum a wind sensor. The cost of the sensor is a fraction of the cost of replacing awning fabric damaged in a single coastal squall. We do not consider a motorised outdoor blind properly installed without weather sensor protection.

Power for Outdoor Motorised Blinds

Outdoor blinds use heavier fabrics, PVC, openweave screen, blockout canvas, and operate over larger spans than indoor blinds. This weight and span requires a higher torque motor than a bedroom roller, which means mains powered (220V) motors are standard for outdoor applications. The motor connects to a dedicated electrical feed, ideally planned at the building or renovation stage when cabling can be run cleanly through the structure. Retrofitting mains wiring to an existing patio is still practical but adds cost and typically requires a qualified electrician.

For smaller outdoor blinds and screens where the fabric weight is modest, Somfy’s WireFree battery motors can be used, eliminating the need for mains wiring. This makes motorisation possible on existing installations without structural disruption. A solar panel option is available for hard to reach outdoor locations where regular charging would be impractical. The panel mounts to the blind frame or nearby wall and trickle charges the motor continuously, making it effectively self sustaining with no maintenance required.

Retractable Awnings

Somfy motors in retractable folding arm awnings extend and retract the full canopy by remote, app, or voice command. The motor sits inside the sealed cassette housing where it is protected from weather. The Eolis wind sensor pairs directly with the RTS motor without requiring a hub, so the awning retracts automatically when wind is detected even if the TaHoma system is offline. Add the TaHoma hub and the awning joins your whole home automation: extend it automatically at a set time each morning, create a sun scene that deploys it when solar intensity reaches your threshold, or build a “leaving home” routine that retracts it along with closing every indoor blind.

Louvred Awnings

Aluminium louvred awnings represent the highest level of motorised outdoor control. The louvre blades tilt by remote to any angle, controlling exactly how much sun and rain penetrates the covered area. Open for airflow, close for full rain protection, or set to a partially open position that lets warm winter sun in while blocking direct glare. Add a rain sensor and the louvres close automatically when precipitation is detected. These are permanently fixed structures that provide year round outdoor living. Motorised control makes them genuinely usable in every weather condition the Garden Route produces.

Restaurant and Commercial Outdoor Blinds

For restaurant and commercial applications, motorised outdoor blinds with weather sensors provide operational continuity that manual systems cannot. A restaurant cannot have staff manually raising and lowering heavy PVC screens between tables during service every time the wind picks up. Motorised systems with wind and rain sensors handle this automatically, protecting guests, equipment, and furniture without interrupting service. Somfy’s heavy duty outdoor motors are rated for commercial cycling frequencies significantly higher than residential use, and the specification reflects that.