When Livhu Tshipuke's family paint manufacturing business collapsed shortly after the passing of his father who owned the establishment, he dedicated his time to making a name for himself in the same industry.
This would be a fitting tribute to a man who taught himself the skill and later transferred the knowledge to his son.
In the late 90s, his parents Patrick and Julia became among the first black people to manufacture decorative and industrial paints in South Africa. They founded a paint brand in Polokwane, Limpopo and named it Sure Paints.
In 2011, Patrick passed on but his vision stayed alive. Inspired by his parents, he became passionate about building a paint brand. In 2017, he started Pat and Jul Paints. The business in 2021 changed its name to AfriCoat, and more recently APCoat.
Through innovation and technology, it produces quality coatings, best decorative coatings and performance coatings designed to meet customer needs and customer satisfaction.
Speaking to Vuk’uzenzele, Tshipuke said he could not continue with his father’s business earlier as he and his siblings were still in high school.
Tshipuke now holds a BSc in Quantity Surveying from Wits University and currently employs 28 people.
“We were still at school and people destroyed the business,” he said. “I learned the skill from my father and don’t have any formal training. All the training and information I have on making paint is informal.”
His business operations are based in Centurion, Gauteng and Polokwane.
While APCoat supplies its produce to residential and commercial developments, it also sells to independent retailers and homeowners.
“The business is entirely self-funded... After qualifying I worked as a quantity surveyor and I then ran a property maintenance business and I would use my own paint for maintaintenance. That was my strategy of moving towards manufacturing,” he said.
“We wanted to get it right before selling it to the public.”
With assistance from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), APCoat is in the process of obtaining an azo mark accreditation (a quality management system), from the South African Bureau of Standards [SABS].
Registered with the South African Paint Manufacturers Association, APCoat operates primarily in Gauteng and Limpopo. The brand offers modern and colourful retail concepts and various paint products. ¥
• For more information APCoat, visit
www.apcoat.co.za or email info@africoat.co.za. You can also call them on 012 347 2708.
• To get in touch with SEDA, visit www.seda.org.za or call 0860 103 703 for more information.
• To reach the SABS call 0861 27 7227 or email info@sabs.co.za
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