Blinds in South Africa: How to Choose the Right Type for Your Home
The afternoon sun heats one side of the house. Coastal humidity creeps into the joinery. A bedroom that never quite gets dark enough. Blinds solve all of this — but only when you get the right type for the right room. This is the guide that helps you do exactly that.
What are the best types of blinds for South African homes?
- Roller blinds are the most popular choice in South Africa, available in blockout fabric for bedrooms and sheer fabric for living areas that need light control with views.
- Venetian blinds (aluminium, aluwood or bamboo) give precise light angle control and work well in kitchens, bathrooms and offices.
- Honeycomb (cellular) blinds provide the best insulation of any blind type, trapping air in a double-cell structure that reduces heat gain and noise.
- Outdoor weather blinds protect patios and entertainment areas from wind, rain and UV while keeping the space usable year-round.
- No-drill blinds use spring-tension mounting and suit rental homes, tiled bathrooms and heritage buildings where drilling is not possible.
- PVC and aluminium shutters are fixed alternatives to blinds, offering a more permanent architectural finish with excellent light and airflow control.
- For coastal areas including the Garden Route, UV-stabilised fabrics and corrosion-resistant hardware are essential to prevent premature salt and humidity damage.
- Custom Blinds Shutters and Awnings is the Garden Route’s leading independent specialist, with over 8 000 installations since 2010 and national online delivery.
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TLDR
South African homes face intense UV, variable heat and coastal conditions that standard off-the-shelf blinds cannot handle. Roller blinds suit most rooms. Venetians give precise control in offices and kitchens. See our kitchen blinds for more. Honeycomb blinds insulate best. For outdoor spaces, weather blinds extend the patio season. For coastal homes, specify UV-stabilised fabric and aluminium or stainless-steel hardware. Custom Blinds supplies, installs and services all types from the Garden Route, with national online delivery.
Designed Comfort
Every window in your home has a job. Some need to block heat. Some need to let light in gently. Some need to disappear. The right blind makes every room feel the way you want it to — without thinking about it.
Cool Rooms. Block heat gain through glass. The room stays comfortable without running the air-con all afternoon.
Quiet Sleep. A properly dark bedroom at six in the morning. Shift workers, light sleepers and young children sleep deeper, longer.
Soft Light. Afternoon sun filtered into a warm glow. Glare off the television disappears. The room relaxes without closing the view.
Private Living. Street-facing windows and bathroom glass handled quietly. Light enters, neighbours do not.
“People always ask which blind is best. I ask them what annoys them most about their window right now. That is where you start.”
Duncan, Custom Blinds — 15 years installing across the Garden Route
Why Homeowners Trust Custom Blinds
Built Here. Fitted Right. Backed Properly.
Custom Blinds manufactures shutters and awnings in our Garden Route workshop. Indoor blinds are supplied from world-class brands — Somfy, Hunter Douglas and Coulisse — specified to handle South African UV, humidity and coastal salt. Every product is measured, fitted and warranted by our own team.
Installations
Since 2010 across the Garden Route and nationally online. Homes, lodges, restaurants and offices.
Years’ Experience
Duncan and the team have seen what lasts and what fails in South African conditions. That knowledge goes into every recommendation.
Point of Contact
No subcontractors. No handovers. One team from the first message to the final installation. About Custom Blinds.
Types of Blinds Available in South Africa
Choosing the right blind starts with understanding what each type does well — and where it struggles. The table below compares the seven main categories, followed by a closer look at each one.
| Blind Type | Best For | Light Control | Insulation | Coastal Safe | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roller Blinds | Bedrooms, living areas, offices | Blockout or sheer | Moderate | ✓ With UV fabric | Affordable |
| Venetian Blinds | Kitchens, bathrooms, offices | Adjustable angle | Low–moderate | ✓ Aluminium | Affordable–mid |
| Honeycomb Blinds | Bedrooms, noise-sensitive rooms | Blockout or sheer | Excellent | ✓ | Mid–premium |
| Double Roller / Zebra | Living areas, open-plan spaces | Dual sheer + privacy | Moderate | ✓ | Mid |
| Vertical Blinds | Sliding doors, wide windows | Adjustable angle | Low | ✓ | Affordable |
| Outdoor Weather Blinds | Patios, stoeps, entertainment areas | Full shade or clear | Wind/rain protection | ✓ Heavy-duty | Mid–premium |
| Shutters (PVC/Aluminium) | Living rooms, bedrooms, security | Louvre angle | Good | ✓ Engineered | Premium |
Roller Blinds
The workhorse of South African window coverings. Roller blinds are clean-lined, affordable and available in two core fabrics: blockout (full darkness) and sheer (filtered light with UV reduction). They suit bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and offices equally well. Blockout roller fabric reduces heat gain through glass by up to 33 percent — practical during a Highveld summer or along the KZN coast. For homes where drilling is not possible, no-drill roller blinds use a spring-tension frame that grips inside the window recess without screws or adhesive.
Venetian Blinds
Tilting slats give you variable light control throughout the day — fully open for morning light, angled to deflect midday glare, closed for complete privacy at night. Available in aluminium, aluwood (aluminium with a woodgrain wrap), bamboo and real timber. Venetian blinds are particularly well suited to kitchens and bathrooms because aluminium slats wipe clean and resist moisture. Bamboo adds warmth and texture to living areas.
Honeycomb (Cellular) Blinds
A double-cell fabric structure traps air in honeycomb pockets, creating an insulating barrier between the glass and the room. This reduces both heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. Honeycomb blinds also dampen noise — useful in bedrooms near busy roads or in open-plan houses where sound carries. Blockout and sheer options are available.
Double Roller and Zebra Blinds
A double roller system layers a sheer fabric in front of a blockout fabric on the same headrail. During the day, lower the sheer for soft light and UV reduction. At night, drop the blockout for full darkness. Zebra blinds achieve a similar effect with alternating opaque and translucent bands on a single fabric. Both suit open-plan living areas where light needs change throughout the day.
Vertical Blinds
Designed for wide windows and sliding doors where a horizontal blind would be impractical. Vertical blinds slide open to give full access to the door frame and tilt for light control when closed. Available in blockout fabrics. Vertical blinds and Vertishades remain the most cost-effective solution for large glass panels.
Outdoor Weather Blinds
Canvas, PVC or mesh blinds that drop down on tracks to close off a patio, stoep, braai area or restaurant terrace. They block wind, deflect rain and cut UV while keeping the space ventilated and usable. Outdoor blinds are one of the most transformative additions to a South African home — they effectively add a new room to the house without the cost of building one. Custom Blinds manufactures outdoor weather blinds and awnings at our Garden Route workshop.
Shutters
A fixed architectural fitting rather than a fabric blind. PVC and aluminium shutters offer excellent light control through adjustable louvres, add property value and suit homes where a more permanent aesthetic is preferred. PVC handles coastal humidity without warping. Aluminium security shutters add an additional layer of protection. Custom Blinds manufactures shutters in-house.
Choosing Blinds by Room
Different rooms have different priorities. A bedroom needs darkness. A kitchen needs splash resistance. A patio needs weather protection. Matching the right blind to the right room prevents costly mistakes.
| Room | First Priority | Best Blind Types | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | Full darkness | Blockout roller, honeycomb blockout, shutters | Sheer-only (lets light bleed) |
| Living Room | Filtered light + views | Sheer roller, double roller, Venetian, shutters | Heavy blockout (kills daylight) |
| Kitchen | Moisture + splash resistant | Aluminium Venetian, roller | Timber, bamboo (absorb moisture) |
| Bathroom | Privacy + moisture | Aluminium Venetian, PVC shutters, no-drill roller | Fabric that retains damp |
| Home Office | Glare reduction | Sheer roller, Venetian, honeycomb | Full blockout during work hours |
| Nursery | Darkness + safety | Motorised blockout roller, cordless honeycomb | Anything with a chain or cord loop |
| Patio / Stoep | Wind + rain + UV | Outdoor weather blinds, louvre awnings | Indoor blinds used outdoors |
For a more detailed room-by-room breakdown, read our guide on choosing blinds from bedroom to bathroom. If you have a home office, our dedicated guide covers the best blinds for screen glare and video calls.
Blinds for South African Coastal Conditions
If your home is within 5 km of the ocean — whether in the Garden Route, KwaZulu-Natal or the Western Cape coast — standard blinds will fail faster than you expect. Salt deposits on hardware. UV degrades fabric colour and tensile strength. Humidity swells timber and corrodes steel.
The solution is specification, not compromise. Insist on UV-stabilised fabric (rated to 2 000+ hours of exposure), aluminium or stainless-steel headrails and brackets, and engineered-polymer components instead of painted steel. Custom Blinds specifies coastal-grade materials across every product supplied and installed on the Garden Route.
Garden Route service area: George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Nature’s Valley. Knysna showroom visits available by appointment.
Motorised and Smart Blinds
Any roller, honeycomb or outdoor blind can be motorised. Battery-powered motors fit inside the tube and are operated by remote, wall switch, smartphone app or voice assistant. There are no dangling cords or chains — making motorised blinds the safest option for nurseries and homes with young children.
Battery motors last 6 to 12 months on a single charge and continue working during load-shedding. Solar charging panels are available for outdoor installations. Somfy, Eve MotionBlinds and Coulisse motors integrate with Apple HomeKit, Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Read more in our guide to motorised blinds.
How to Buy Blinds in South Africa
There are three ways to get blinds, each suited to a different situation.
1. Online — Measure, Choose, Order
Measure your windows using a step-by-step guide, select your fabric, colour and size, and order for delivery. Custom Blinds ships nationwide from the Garden Route. The online shop covers roller, Venetian, honeycomb, vertical and outdoor blinds — all made to your exact measurements.
2. In-Home Consultation
For Garden Route residents, Duncan visits your home with fabric samples, takes measurements and advises on the right type, fabric and operating mechanism for each window. No obligation, no pressure. Book a consultation.
3. WhatsApp Advice
Send a photo of your window with approximate dimensions. Duncan replies with a recommendation and ballpark pricing — usually within a few hours. This works well for quick decisions and follow-up questions.
Custom Fit Guarantee on shop orders: if your blinds arrive too big, we trim them free. Too small, you get 5% off the replacement.
The Smart Investment
Why Getting Blinds Right the First Time Matters
Property Value
Quality window coverings add measurable kerb appeal and finish. Estate agents list them as an expected fixture.
Energy Savings
Blockout and honeycomb blinds reduce heat gain, lowering air-conditioning costs in summer.
Furniture Protection
UV-filtering blinds protect floors, upholstery and artwork from sun bleaching that is accelerated by South African light intensity.
Low Maintenance
Wipe-clean materials. No washing, ironing or dry cleaning. Roller and Venetian blinds are among the lowest-maintenance window coverings available.
“The biggest mistake people make is choosing a blind for how it looks in the shop. I choose blinds for how the room feels six months after installation.”
Duncan, Custom Blinds — over 8 000 installations since 2010
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular blinds in South Africa?
Roller blinds are the most widely installed type across South African homes and offices. They are affordable, clean-lined and available in blockout or sheer fabrics. Venetian blinds are the second most popular, especially in kitchens and bathrooms where moisture resistance matters. Custom Blinds supplies and installs both types from our Garden Route base.
How much do custom blinds cost in South Africa?
Pricing depends on blind type, window size, fabric and operating mechanism. Roller blinds are the most affordable custom option. Venetians sit in the mid range. Honeycomb and shutters are at the premium end. For an accurate price, measure your window and use our online shop for instant pricing, or WhatsApp a photo to Duncan on 079 523 5407.
Which blinds are best for coastal homes on the Garden Route?
Blinds specified with UV-stabilised fabric, aluminium headrails and stainless-steel or polymer brackets handle coastal conditions reliably. Avoid painted steel and untreated timber. Custom Blinds specifies coastal-grade materials as standard for all Garden Route installations across George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Sedgefield.
Can I buy blinds online and have them delivered anywhere in South Africa?
Yes. Custom Blinds delivers nationwide from the Garden Route. Measure your windows, choose your blind type, fabric and colour on the online shop, and your blinds are made to order and shipped with tracking. The Custom Fit Guarantee covers shop orders if measurements are slightly off.
What is the difference between roller blinds and Venetian blinds?
Roller blinds use a single piece of fabric that rolls up or down. They give a clean, minimal look and are either fully open or fully closed (or somewhere in between). Venetian blinds use horizontal slats that tilt to any angle, giving more precise control over how much light enters and from which direction. Rollers suit bedrooms and living areas. Venetians suit kitchens, bathrooms and offices.
Are motorised blinds worth it in South Africa?
Motorised blinds are the safest option for homes with children (no cords or chains), the most convenient for hard-to-reach windows, and they continue working during load-shedding on battery power. They integrate with Somfy, Apple HomeKit and Google Home. The upfront cost is higher but the daily convenience and safety benefit are significant.
Do I need different blinds for different rooms?
Usually, yes. Bedrooms need blockout fabric for sleep. Kitchens and bathrooms need moisture-resistant materials like aluminium Venetians. Living rooms benefit from sheer or double-roller systems that filter light without blocking views. Patios need outdoor-rated weather blinds. Using the same blind type throughout the house is possible but rarely optimal.
How do I clean blinds?
Most blinds only need a wipe with a damp cloth or a light vacuum with a brush attachment. Aluminium Venetians wipe clean with soapy water. Roller fabrics can be spot-cleaned. Blinds do not need washing, ironing or dry cleaning. For a full guide, see our article on how to clean blinds in South Africa.
Find the Right Blinds for Your Home
Whether you need one window or a full house, we will help you get it right.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is an independent, Garden Route-based specialist in premium window coverings. Product availability and specifications may vary. All advice is general and based on typical South African conditions. For site-specific recommendations, contact us directly.
