Blackout Blinds South Africa — The Complete Guide to Blockout Roller Blinds
Street lights bleed through thin curtains. Summer dawns arrive at 05:00. A baby wakes every time a car passes. Blockout blinds solve the problem that most South African homeowners do not realise they have — uncontrolled light that steals sleep, raises energy bills, and fades furniture.
What are blackout blinds and how do they work in South Africa?
- Blackout blinds (also called blockout blinds in South Africa) use multi-layered opaque fabric to block 99–100% of incoming light.
- The most popular type is the blockout roller blind — a single sheet of coated fabric that rolls onto a compact headrail and sits flat against the window.
- Fabric options include PVC-coated polyester for durability and woven polyester with acrylic backing for a softer finish.
- Side channels or face-fix mounting eliminate light gaps at the edges, which is the main weakness of standard installations.
- Blockout blinds reduce indoor heat gain during South African summers and help retain warmth in winter, lowering air-conditioning and heating costs.
- Custom Blinds supplies Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse blockout roller fabrics — made to measure and delivered anywhere in South Africa.
- No-drill options are available for renters and apartment dwellers who cannot modify window frames.
Need expert advice? Call Duncan on 079 523 5407 or order your blockout blind online.
TLDR
Blockout roller blinds are the most practical way to achieve total darkness in any room in South Africa. They block 99–100% of light, reduce heat, protect furniture from UV, and work in bedrooms, nurseries, home offices, and media rooms. Custom Blinds makes them to measure using Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse fabrics — with no-drill options for renters and nationwide delivery.
Designed Comfort
A dark bedroom changes the way you sleep. Deep, unbroken rest. No alarm-clock panic at false dawn. Children who settle faster and stay settled longer. That quiet calm when you close the blind and the world outside simply disappears.
What Changes When the Light Stops
Complete darkness triggers melatonin production. You fall asleep faster and wake genuinely rested — even through Johannesburg street lights or Cape Town summer dawns.
Blockout fabric reflects heat before it reaches your glass. Bedrooms stay noticeably cooler in December and January without running air conditioning all day.
South African UV is among the harshest in the world. Blockout blinds stop it at the window, protecting wooden floors, leather furniture, and artwork from fading.
No shadows. No silhouettes. When a blockout blind is closed, the outside world cannot see in — day or night, ground floor or upper storey.
“People always ask which blind is best. I ask them what annoys them most about their window right now. Nine times out of ten, it is light waking them up too early or a bedroom that feels like an oven by midday. That is a blockout problem, and a blockout roller solves it.” Duncan, Custom Blinds — 15 years installing across the Garden Route
Why Custom Blinds
Built for South African Windows, Delivered Nationwide
Custom Blinds is the only South African company that handles online sales, on-site consultation, in-house manufacturing, and professional installation under one roof. Every blockout blind is made to your exact measurements — not trimmed from a standard size.
Installations Since 2010
Bedrooms, nurseries, offices, and media rooms across the Garden Route and nationwide through the online shop.
Premium Fabric Suppliers
We source blockout roller fabrics from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse — engineered for durability and tested for total light exclusion.
Custom Fit Guarantee
Too big? Free trim. Too small? 5% off a replacement. Every online order is covered by the Custom Fit Guarantee.
Blackout vs Blockout — Is There a Difference?
In South Africa, the industry standard term is “blockout.” Internationally, “blackout” is more common. They mean the same thing: a fabric dense enough to prevent all visible light from passing through. You will see both terms used interchangeably on South African shopping sites, and both are correct.
The real distinction is between blockout and semi-blockout (also called dimout). A semi-blockout fabric reduces light by roughly 80–95%, while a true blockout blind achieves 99–100% light elimination. If your goal is total darkness — for sleeping, for a nursery, or for a home cinema — you need full blockout.
For rooms where you want filtered natural light during the day and full privacy at night, a double roller system pairs a sheer with a blockout on the same headrail. This gives you both options without fitting two separate blinds.
Blockout Blind Types Compared
Not every blockout blind works the same way. The table below compares the most common options available in South Africa, so you can match the right product to your room.
| Feature | Roller Blockout | Honeycomb Blockout | Vertical Blockout | Curtain Lining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Blocking | 99–100% | 99–100% | 95–98% | 85–95% |
| Heat Insulation | Good | Excellent (air pocket) | Moderate | Moderate |
| Profile When Open | Compact roll at top | Compact fold at top | Stacks to one side | Bulky at sides |
| Best For | Bedrooms, nurseries, offices | Energy saving, cold rooms | Wide sliding doors | Traditional interiors |
| No-Drill Option | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Motorisation | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Limited |
| Maintenance | Wipe with damp cloth | Light dust or vacuum | Wipe individual louvres | Dry clean or wash |
| Order Online | Shop Roller Blockout | Shop Honeycomb | Shop Vertical | — |
Room-by-Room: Where Blockout Blinds Make the Biggest Difference
Bedrooms
This is where blockout blinds earn their keep. South African summers bring sunrise before 05:30 in many regions, and street lighting in suburbs like Sandton, Durbanville, and Umhlanga can be relentless. A well-fitted blockout roller with face-fix mounting creates genuine darkness — the kind that lets you sleep until your alarm, not until the sun decides.
For bedrooms that face east, a motorised blockout blind can be programmed to open gradually at your chosen wake time, simulating a natural sunrise without the harshness of full daylight flooding in at once.
Nurseries and Children’s Rooms
Nap time in a bright room is a losing battle. Blockout blinds create the darkness babies and toddlers need for daytime sleep, and they do it without chains or dangling cords. Custom Blinds no-drill blockout rollers are specifically designed for child safety — no exposed chains, no wall damage, and no compromise on light control. Read more in our nursery blockout blinds guide.
Home Offices
Glare on a screen makes a long workday longer. A blockout blind behind a desk-facing window eliminates reflections entirely. If you still want natural light from other windows, pair your blockout with a sheer roller on the side windows for balanced light without glare.
Media and TV Rooms
Projectors and large screens need controlled darkness to look their best. Blockout rollers mounted face-fix with minimal side gaps turn a living room into a proper viewing space. No more waiting until sunset to watch a film.
Shift Workers
Nurses, security guards, pilots, and anyone working nights need daytime sleep that actually works. Blockout blinds are not a luxury for shift workers — they are a health requirement. Complete light elimination during the day replicates nighttime conditions so the body can produce melatonin and enter deep sleep.
Fabric Quality and Installation: What Actually Matters
A blockout blind is only as good as its fabric and the way it is fitted. Cheap fabric degrades under South African UV within two to three years — the coating cracks, the edges curl, and light starts bleeding through. The blockout fabrics Custom Blinds uses from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse are UV-stabilised and heat-tested for South African conditions.
Fabric Options
PVC-coated polyester is the most durable choice. It is waterproof, wipe-clean, and holds its shape in humid coastal environments or hot inland areas. Woven polyester with acrylic backing offers a softer texture and a wider range of colours and patterns, though it requires slightly more care in high-moisture rooms.
Recess vs Face-Fix Mounting
Recess mounting (inside the window frame) gives a clean, built-in look. Face-fix mounting (on the wall above the frame) covers the entire window opening and eliminates most side light gaps. For total darkness, face-fix with side channels is the best option — the channels guide the fabric and prevent light from creeping in at the edges.
If you are buying online, our measuring guide walks you through both options step by step. For Garden Route clients, Duncan measures on-site — there is no guesswork.
No-Drill Blockout Blinds for Renters
If you rent, or if you simply do not want to drill into window frames, no-drill blockout rollers use spring-tension brackets that clamp onto the frame without screws. They fit, they hold, and they remove cleanly when you move. This is one of the most popular categories in our online shop.
Blockout Blinds vs Blockout Curtains
Blockout curtains are a common alternative, but they have practical limitations that blinds avoid. Curtains require a rail or rod, take up more wall space, collect dust in their folds, and rarely achieve a complete seal against the window. Even “blockout lined” curtains allow light to leak above the rail, between panels, and at the sides.
A blockout roller blind sits flush to the window, takes up almost no space when open, and can be paired with decorative curtains if you want the layered look. For a full comparison, read our sheer vs blockout roller guide.
| Feature | Blockout Roller Blind | Blockout Curtain |
|---|---|---|
| Light Seal | Near-total with face-fix + channels | Gaps at top, sides, and between panels |
| Space When Open | Compact roll at top — window fully clear | Bulky folds at sides — partial window obstruction |
| Cleaning | Wipe with damp cloth | Machine wash or dry clean |
| Dust Accumulation | Minimal — flat surface | Significant — pleats trap dust |
| Motorisation | ✓ Easy | Limited and expensive |
| Renter-Friendly | ✓ No-drill options | Requires rail installation |
Smart Value
Why Blockout Blinds Are a Long-Term Investment
Lower Energy Bills
Blockout fabric reflects heat in summer and insulates in winter. Less air conditioning, less heating, lower Eskom bills.
UV Protection
South African UV index regularly exceeds 10. Blockout blinds prevent fading on floors, furniture, and fabrics.
Lasting Quality
UV-stabilised fabrics from premium suppliers resist cracking and discolouration for years, not months.
Custom Fit Guarantee
Order online with confidence. Too big gets a free trim, too small gets 5% off a replacement.
How to Order Blockout Blinds Online
Three steps between you and a darker bedroom. Every blind is made to your measurements and delivered to your door anywhere in South Africa.
Measure Your Window
Choose Fabric and Colour
Order and We Deliver
Not sure how to measure? Our step-by-step measuring guide makes it simple, or try the AR measurement tool on your phone. For Garden Route homes, Duncan measures on site at no charge.
Ready to sleep better? Order your custom blockout roller blind — made to measure, delivered nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between blackout and blockout blinds in South Africa?
Nothing — the terms are interchangeable. “Blockout” is the more common South African industry term, while “blackout” is used internationally. Both describe opaque fabric that blocks 99–100% of light. Custom Blinds uses the term blockout across our online shop and product range.
Do blockout blinds keep a room cooler in summer?
Yes. Blockout fabric reflects solar heat before it enters through the glass, reducing indoor temperatures noticeably. The effect is strongest with lighter-coloured fabrics and face-fix mounting that covers the full window opening. Honeycomb blockout blinds offer the highest insulation value due to their trapped air pocket design.
Can I get blockout blinds without drilling holes in my window frame?
Yes. No-drill blockout roller blinds use spring-tension brackets that clamp onto the window frame without screws. They are ideal for renters and apartments. Custom Blinds offers no-drill blockout rollers made to measure and delivered across South Africa.
Which rooms benefit most from blockout blinds?
Bedrooms, nurseries, home offices, media rooms, and any space used by shift workers who need to sleep during the day. Blockout blinds also protect furniture and flooring from UV damage, making them practical for living rooms with direct sun exposure.
How do I stop light leaking around the sides of blockout blinds?
Mount the blind face-fix (on the wall above the window) rather than inside the recess. For maximum darkness, add side channels that guide the fabric edge and close the gap between the blind and the wall. Our Garden Route blockout roller guide covers installation options in detail.
Are blockout blinds safe for a nursery?
Yes, when fitted correctly. Custom Blinds no-drill blockout rollers have no exposed chains or cords. For additional safety information, read our child safety guide.
Where can I buy blockout blinds online in South Africa?
Custom Blinds delivers made-to-measure blockout roller blinds anywhere in South Africa through shop.customblinds.co.za. Every order includes the Custom Fit Guarantee, and you can reach the team on 076 022 8410 or via WhatsApp for help choosing fabric and colour.
Your Darker, Quieter Bedroom Starts Here
Made to measure. Delivered to your door. Backed by the Custom Fit Guarantee.
Information is accurate as of February 2026. Product availability, fabrics, and pricing may change. Contact Custom Blinds for current options. Custom Fit Guarantee applies to online shop orders only.
