Compare the area, the thickness, the frame, the ridge and the travel before you choose. A free request for thatched rondavels in Upington goes to a builder serving Upington and nearby areas of Northern Cape, and you see the quotes side by side.
Thatched Rondavels in Upington
Building or re-roofing a rondavel in Upington? Say how many rondavels, the diameter, whether they are round or 6 or 8 corner, and whether the walls are already up. Builders and thatchers working in Upington and Northern Cape can then quote you directly.
The main thatched rondavels page explains the options, the materials and the costs in more detail.
What to know locally in Upington
Along the Orange River, guesthouses and lodges use thatch on chalets, lapas and restaurants, and grape farms around Keimoes, Kakamas and Kanoneiland have lapas for family and workers. In town, a <a href="/thatch-lapas/">lapa</a> is a way to get shade over a braai. Because crews come from far, ask for photos of past work and a firm schedule. Check with the municipality about plans and fire distances.
Upington: the buildings, the weather and the thatchers
Upington lies on the Orange River at the edge of the Kalahari, where summers are among the hottest in South Africa and rain is scarce. The river makes a green strip of vineyards and date palms through the desert, and that is where thatch is found: guesthouses and river lodges along the Orange, lapas on farms at Kanoneiland, Keimoes and Kakamas, and shaded entertainment areas behind homes in town. Thatch keeps buildings cooler in the heat and dries fast after the rare storm, but sun, wind and dust wear it. Few thatchers are based this far out, so crews and grass usually travel long distances, and timing needs planning.
The requests we see from Upington usually come from:
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: self-catering rondavels in the garden, each with its own small stoep
- Restaurants, pubs and beach bars: a round thatched building as a farm stall, coffee shop or tasting room
- Game lodges and bush camps: rows of thatched rondavel chalets with en-suite bathrooms for guests
Local tips for Upington
Thatchers serving Upington mostly work from here: very few local thatchers; crews and grass travel from far afield. The jobs that come up most: river guesthouses and lodges, farm lapas among the vineyards, shade lapas in town. When you ask for quotes, ask how travel and crew accommodation are included in the quote.
Around Upington the largest group asking is guesthouses and B&Bs, which usually means self-catering rondavels in the garden, each with its own small stoep. Before you agree to anything: ring beam, cone frame and the peak cap. Getting a crew there: crews and materials travel far along the N14 and N10; travel is a big part of cost.
Service area: Upington and surrounds
Requests from Upington go to thatchers and suppliers that already serve Keimoes, Kakamas, Paballelo, Louisvale, Groblershoop, Kanoneiland and the rest of the area. Say whether you want supply only or supply and install, and whether a site visit suits you.