These “instant buildings” are mould-formed according to a method designed by Port Elizabeth entrepreneur Hennie Botes, for which he was presented a subsidy housing merit award at the Innovation Housing Competition sponsored by the National Home Builder’s Registration Council and Absa Bank, as well as a PRW award in the UK.
“The concept came to me in 1986 while I was building a wall around my first home. It took a long time and thought there must be an easier way to do it than laying one brick on top of another,” Hennie recalls. “suddenly realised that it would be much simpler to mould a planned house or outbuilding and cast it with brick or block material. The big advantage lies in the speed of construction. doesn’t need skilled labour, yet it’s good quality and socially acceptable in that the end product is solid rather than prefabricated. Banks have no problem granting bonds with the house as collateral,” he explains. “It’s a cost effective, holistic design-and-build technology that far outweighs poorly designed, costly concrete-block and masonry structures.”
The mortar dries within 12 hours and is ready for the top structure, plumbing conduits and window and door frames. “But these buildings don’t fall into the low-cost housing category, which has negative connotations in SA because of a history of sloppy workmanship by contractors,” adds Botes.
He has been exporting his building technology for the past decade. His company, Moladi, mainly targets developing countries such as Panama, Mexico, Angola, Botswana, Brazil and Kenya. An 800-house project is currently under way in Mexico. Moladi doesn’t build the houses, but sells the concept to contractors who use it to build cost-effectively. Moladi sends project managers to other countries to help contractors build the first showhouse, thereby transferring skills. Thereafter the contractor buys the mould from Moladi.
The moulds are manufactured in Markman, outside Port Elizabeth and exported from the city’s harbour. They are presently only available to builders who want to build 50 or more houses. The concept is patented and Botes has received South African Bureau of Standards’ approval for the concept. Patents are pending for improvements on the original design, as well as complementary products. – Chris Nel
Top: The Moladi system consists of modular shuttering that serves as a mould. The space in between is filled with mortar.
Bottom: A quality 52m² two-bedroomed house,
ready for occupation in five days, costs about R40 000.
- Farmer's Weekly