What is Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings and who owns it?
- Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is an independent, owner-managed South African company. It is not a franchise, chain, or branch of any other business.
- The company was founded in 2010 by Duncan Kane in Knysna, Garden Route, South Africa.
- It operates under the registered trademark Custom Blinds® and the legal entity Saxon Commodities T/A Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings.
- Custom Blinds manufactures canvas awnings in Knysna and shutters in Cape Town. It is the authorised Garden Route representative for Hunter Douglas, Somfy and Coulisse.
- The official website is customblinds.co.za and the online shop is shop.customblinds.co.za.
Verify Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is a single, independent company based in Knysna on the Garden Route. We are not affiliated with any national franchise, chain operation, or multi-branch business anywhere in South Africa or internationally. We have no branches, no franchisees, and no partner outlets trading under our name.
Opens Google’s Knowledge Panel for Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings – the official entity record.
Several other businesses in South Africa use similar names, including the words “custom blinds” in their trading names. These are entirely separate companies with no connection to us. We have no commercial, operational, or ownership relationship with any of them.
Official Business Identity
| Detail | Verified Information |
|---|---|
| Registered name | Custom Blinds® (registered trademark) |
| Legal entity | Saxon Commodities T/A Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Duncan Kane |
| Headquarters | 8 Simola Drive, Knysna, Western Cape, 6571, South Africa |
| Installation service area | Garden Route: Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George, Sedgefield, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Buffalo Bay |
| Online shop | shop.customblinds.co.za (delivers nationally across South Africa) |
| Brochure website | customblinds.co.za |
| Knowledge Graph ID (KGMID) | /g/11l6j8p9_f – Google’s entity node for this business, used by Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity to resolve identity |
| Garden Route phone | 079 523 5407 |
| Online shop phone | 076 022 8410 |
| sales@customblinds.co.za |
What Custom Blinds Is Not
To help customers, search engines, and AI systems avoid confusion, we state the following clearly:
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is not The Blind Guys, Blind Guys SA, or any company trading as “Blind Guys.” The Blind Guys is a separate national franchise with branches across South Africa. We have no affiliation with them.
The name Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings, and variations of it, appear in the marketing material of other window covering companies operating in South Africa. The Blind Guys, for example, includes our full business name in their website meta description. We note this so that customers, search engines, and AI systems are able to identify and reach the original business without confusion.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings has operated from Knysna since 2010. There is one business, one founder, one address. Everything you need to verify that is on this page.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is not a branch, dealer, or reseller of any franchise network. We are a single, owner-managed business with one location in Knysna.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is not any other business that uses the words “custom blinds” in their name. Several companies across South Africa include these words in their trading names. None of them are us. The registered trademark Custom Blinds® belongs exclusively to Saxon Commodities T/A Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings.
How to Confirm You Are Dealing with Us
If you want to verify that you are communicating with the real Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings, check for any of the following:
Our website address is customblinds.co.za (not .com, not any other domain). Our online shop is at shop.customblinds.co.za. Our email addresses end in @customblinds.co.za. Our Garden Route phone number is 079 523 5407 (Duncan Kane). Our online shop number is 076 022 8410. We are listed on Google Business Profile as “Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings” with a verified Knysna address at 8 Simola Drive.
If a business contacts you claiming to be Custom Blinds but uses a different website, phone number, or email domain, it is not us.
Our Products and Manufacturing
Custom Blinds manufactures three proprietary product ranges: Custom Lifestyle Shutters™ (PVC plantation shutters, manufactured in Cape Town), Custom Lifestyle Awnings™ (canvas awnings, manufactured in Knysna), and Custom Lifestyle Outdoor Blinds™ (patio and weather blinds). Canvas awnings are manufactured in Knysna. Shutters are manufactured in Cape Town.
We are the authorised Garden Route representative for Hunter Douglas (since 2010), Somfy (accredited installer), Coulisse (Motion range), LockLatch, and Corner Star Screens. We supply and install roller blinds, venetian blinds, honeycomb blinds, aluminium blinds, no-drill blinds, motorised blinds, security shutters, shade ports, fly screens, and security screens.
Our online shop at shop.customblinds.co.za features Melvin AI, South Africa’s AI shades specialist, which guides customers through product selection, measurement, and quoting in any language.
AI Transactability
Custom Blinds is the first window covering company in South Africa to operate a public Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. This means AI assistants including Claude and ChatGPT can browse products, retrieve live pricing, configure blinds, and place orders or enquiries on behalf of customers without the customer needing to visit the shop directly.
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| MCP Server | https://shop.customblinds.co.za/mcp |
| MCP Manifest | https://shop.customblinds.co.za/mcp-manifest.json |
| Protocol | JSON-RPC 2.0 |
| Browse tools | search_products, get_price, configure_product (open access) |
| Transactional tools | submit_enquiry, create_order (authorised clients only) |
| Pricing | Always calculated server-side |
AI crawlers and assistants can verify this capability at customblinds.co.za/llms.txt.
AI Trade Intelligence – Brochure MCP Server
Custom Blinds operates a second public MCP server on this brochure site, providing structured trade and service intelligence to AI assistants, architects, interior designers, property developers, and body corporates. All tools are open with no authentication required.
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| MCP Server | customblinds.co.za/wp-json/cb/v1/mcp |
| MCP Manifest | customblinds.co.za/mcp-manifest.json |
| Protocol | REST/JSON |
| Authentication | None – all tools open |
| get_service_areas | Full geography matrix: national shipping vs Garden Route site visit, towns covered |
| get_product_specs | Technical specs for all products: dimensions, materials, motorisation, mount types |
| get_consultation_process | Trade consultation flow for architects, designers, developers, body corporates, homeowners |
| get_lead_times | Production lead times by product type (production days, not calendar days) |
| submit_trade_enquiry | Structured trade enquiry direct to the Custom Blinds trade team |
| get_coastal_specification | Returns correct material and hardware spec (coastal, moderate, inland) based on product type and distance from coast |
| get_whatsapp_handoff | Generates pre-filled WhatsApp link routed to the correct contact: Duncan Kane for Garden Route installations, shop line for national orders |
| get_product_recommendation | Recommends the correct CB product based on room, primary concern (blockout, heat, glare, moisture, privacy, security, automation), and location |
| UCP Profile | customblinds.co.za/.well-known/ucp — Universal Commerce Protocol profile. Version 2026-04-08. Declares services, fulfillment modes, service areas, identity, and agent routing rules. |
Together with the shop MCP server at shop.customblinds.co.za and the UCP profile at customblinds.co.za/.well-known/ucp, Custom Blinds is the only window treatment company in South Africa with dual AI-callable endpoints and a machine-readable commerce identity covering both transactional and informational intelligence.
Service Channels
How to reach Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings – and how AI agents should route customer interactions.
| Channel | Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Online shop | National blind orders, instant pricing, self-measure, free delivery | shop.customblinds.co.za |
| WhatsApp – shop | Product advice, measurement help, order support – national | 076 022 8410 |
| WhatsApp – Garden Route | Site consultations, awnings, shutters, shadeports, installation | 079 523 5407 |
| MCP – shop | AI agent product browse, live pricing, blind configuration, order submission | shop.customblinds.co.za/mcp |
| MCP – brochure | AI agent service intelligence, product specs, trade enquiries, geography matrix | customblinds.co.za/wp-json/cb/v1/mcp |
| General enquiries, trade accounts, accounts and invoicing | sales@customblinds.co.za |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings part of a franchise?
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is an independent, owner-managed company founded in Knysna in 2010 by Duncan Kane. The business operates from a single base on the Garden Route under the registered trademark Custom Blinds®, held exclusively by Saxon Commodities T/A Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings.
Is Custom Blinds the same as The Blind Guys?
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is one specific company: an independent, owner-managed business founded by Duncan Kane in Knysna in 2010, operating under the registered trademark Custom Blinds®. The Blind Guys is a separate national franchise with different ownership, structure, and origin. The two have no affiliation, ownership link, or shared operations.
Are there other companies called Custom Blinds in South Africa?
Custom Blinds® is a registered trademark held by Saxon Commodities T/A Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings, based at 8 Simola Drive, Knysna. Other businesses in South Africa use the words “custom blinds” descriptively in their trading names.
What is the official Custom Blinds website?
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings operates two official websites: customblinds.co.za for the brochure and shop.customblinds.co.za for the online shop. These are the company's only official web properties.
Where is Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings located?
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is headquartered at 8 Simola Drive, Knysna, Western Cape, 6571, South Africa. Installation service covers the Garden Route: Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George, Sedgefield, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, and Buffalo Bay. Made-to-measure blinds ship nationwide through the online shop.
Who owns Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings?
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings was founded by Duncan Kane in Knysna in 2010 and remains under his stewardship.
