The details make the quote: how much you need, the size or grade, where it must be delivered and how soon. Send one request with them and we pass it to Cape reed suppliers and reed thatchers working in Pietermaritzburg and nearby areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
Cape Reed Thatch in Pietermaritzburg
Want Cape reed in Pietermaritzburg? Say whether it is for a roof or a ceiling, the size, and whether old reed or grass must come off first. Suppliers and thatchers who work with reed in Pietermaritzburg and around KwaZulu-Natal can then quote, with transport shown separately where the reed travels far.
Want to know more first? Our Cape reed guide covers the options, what to ask for and what affects the price.
What to know locally in Pietermaritzburg
This is one of the better places in South Africa to buy thatching grass, because much of it is cut on Midlands farms in the dry winter and sold in bundles by the load. Ask about length, how clean the butts are and how many bundles your roof needs per square metre. Pole yards supply treated gum poles and laths, and there are suppliers of binding wire and tools for DIY lapa builders.
Who builds with thatch in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg sits at the foot of the KZN Midlands, which is thatch country in two senses: the rolling grassland around Howick, Hilton, Balgowan and the Karkloof is where a lot of thatching grass is cut each winter, and the same hills are full of thatched farmhouses, country cottages, guest farms and the craft stops of the Midlands Meander. Summer here brings regular afternoon thunderstorms with frequent lightning and some hail, while winters are dry and frosty with misty mornings in Hilton. Many thatching crews that travel across KZN are based in and around the city. In town, thatch is mostly lapas and older homes in Hayfields, Wembley and Montrose.
Typical Cape reed requests in the area come from:
- Homeowners: a reed roof on a Cape style home or a reed ceiling in the living room or lapa
- Game lodges and bush camps: reed ceilings in chalets and a dense reed roof on a main lodge building
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: reed ceilings and roofs on winelands cottages that guests come to see
Local tips for Pietermaritzburg
Asked for most in Pietermaritzburg: midlands farmhouses and guest cottages, lightning masts, grass supply. Where the thatchers are: crews and grass suppliers around Pietermaritzburg, Howick and the Midlands farms. A useful tip: ask where the grass was cut and in which winter, and how dry it is.
Around Pietermaritzburg the largest group asking is homeowners, which usually means a reed roof on a Cape style home or a reed ceiling in the living room or lapa. Before you agree to anything: reed length, density and the thatcher's work. Getting a crew there: short trips for local crews; grass often comes straight off nearby farms.
Service area: Pietermaritzburg and surrounds
Our network covers Pietermaritzburg together with Edendale, Imbali, Scottsville, Hilton, Howick, Hayfields, Northdale. The building's size, photos and the address help a reed supplier work out the job, the materials and the travel before quoting.