2019: the Knysna workshop opens its doors
Sisonke Stainless was founded in 2019 in Knysna Industria, with Siyabonga Mthembu leading the business from day one. The early work built on the stainless steel and balustrade trade, and the aim was simple: offer reliable fabrication and installation for the Garden Route without sending clients far from home.
Those first months were shaped by site measuring, basic shop drawings and careful on-site fitting. In Knysna, where coastal moisture can be hard on mild steel and painted finishes, stainless made sense for homes near the water, guest houses, walkways and staircases. The workshop started small, but the jobs came in with a clear pattern, balustrades, handrails, gates and custom stainless parts that needed to fit properly first time.
- Started as a local Knysna stainless workshop in 2019
- Focused on balustrades, handrails and custom metal parts
- Built around measuring, fabrication and installation on site
2020: keeping projects moving through a difficult year
In 2020 the business had to keep moving through a year that tested many local suppliers. Work did not stop, but planning mattered more. Clients still needed stair rails, gate fittings and replacement parts for homes, lodges and small commercial properties, and the workshop had to work around changing site access, supply delays and tighter scheduling.
This period helped shape the way the team still works today. Measurements had to be accurate, because returning to site more than once costs time and money. Shop drawings became a bigger part of the process, and so did regular communication with property owners, builders and maintenance teams. The business also sharpened its repair work, since many clients simply needed a broken fitting renewed or a corroded piece restored instead of a full replacement.
- More emphasis on planning, drawings and accurate fitment
- Stronger repair and maintenance work for local properties
- Kept serving Knysna and nearby towns through uncertain conditions
2021: the team grows and the service range widens
By 2021, the workshop had moved beyond one or two main product lines and into a fuller stainless service. More clients were asking for custom pieces, not standard catalogue items, and that pushed the business to expand its skills. Handrails for private homes, balustrades for guest houses, gates for entrances and marine fittings for boats or waterfront sites all began to form part of the regular workload.
This was also the year the team structure became more defined. Under Siyabonga Mthembu, operations, workshop production, site installation and estimating each needed a clear owner so jobs could move without delays. That way of working still helps on the Garden Route, where a workshop can be in Knysna but the site might be in Wilderness one day, George the next and Mossel Bay after that. Load-shedding also made scheduling more important, so fabrication and installation had to be planned around power availability.
- Broader custom fabrication work started to grow
- Service areas expanded across the Garden Route
- Workshop planning improved around site access and load-shedding
2022: known locally, trusted on site
From 2022, the business continued under the Sisonke Stainless Steel and Sisonke Projects name, with Knysna still at the centre of the work. That continuity matters. Many clients were not looking for a new name, they were looking for the same practical stainless work that had already been associated with the site for years. The business carried that history forward while tightening the focus on stainless fabrication and installation.
By this stage, the workshop had built a stronger reputation for jobs that need more than off-the-shelf supply. Stainless balustrades had to match the property, glass fitment had to line up cleanly, and gate hardware needed to work smoothly in coastal conditions where salt air and humidity can affect moving parts. Regular maintenance checks and surface restoration also became part of the service, especially for properties that want to keep fittings looking right without replacing everything.
- Carried the earlier Sisonke work into the present business
- Built trust through repeat site work and maintenance support
- Focused on stainless durability in coastal conditions
Today: a Knysna base serving the whole Garden Route
Today Sisonke Stainless operates from its Knysna Industria base with a team that includes Annelise van Wyk in operations, Luyanda Ngesi in the workshop, Ruan Botha on site installations, Nokuthula Dlamini handling estimating and Johan Nel managing fabrication work. That mix lets the business handle the full process from first site measure to final installation and aftercare.
The work now includes balustrades, handrails, gates, custom stainless parts, glass fitment, gate hardware fitment, marine fitouts, stainless repairs, surface restoration and maintenance checks. Clients come from Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Sedgefield, Wilderness, George and Mossel Bay, and many jobs involve local rules around access, safety and finish standards. The business stays practical because that is what the region needs, especially when weather, transport, coastal exposure and power cuts can all affect a job.
What has not changed is the way the business is run. Measure carefully, make it properly, fit it neatly and stand by the work. That has been the thread from the early years through to the workshop as it runs now.
What the early years taught us
The original years of Sisonke Stainless set the tone for the company that exists today. The lessons were not flashy, but they were important. A balustrade must land square, a gate must swing freely, and a stainless repair should last in Knysna’s coastal air without constant attention. Those standards came from doing the work day after day, often under pressure from weather, timelines and the practical needs of builders and homeowners.
That history also explains why the business keeps a close link between workshop and site. A good drawing is useful, but the final test is always on location. If a handrail meets a staircase wrong or a fitting is left loose, the whole job suffers. So the team learned to check details early, keep clients informed and finish neatly, even when the site is awkward or the weather turns. It is the kind of habit that only comes from years in the trade.