An entrance gate is a common sight in the suburbs of South Africa. South African homes are often much larger than in other countries. During the 20th century as new residential zones sprang up around the cities, home owners could all enjoy a large garden, driveway and garage. Only in the last couple decades has this changed with economic conditions. Many South Africans now live in flats, clusters or complexes due to not only cost factors but the enhanced security. Traditional residential homes now rely heavily on high walls, electric fencing and an effective entrance gate to protect them. Houses dating back to more innocent times usually feature a waist high gate that served only to stop the theft of a vehicle. It is more commonplace now to see an entrance gate that is above head height. In more recent years, these entrance gates have also had spikes added to the top of them to deter would be trespassers.
The older style of having two separate gates for one driveway is still seen in most places but these have been more difficult to automate – using hydraulic arms. The track system is a more popular form of gate automation and for this reason we now more frequently see one large gate for one entrance that slides back behind the wall when being operated. This is particularly used as the sole entrance to complex units. A significant benefit of the track system is that it does not require a large area of clearance where conventional entrance gates once did. An entrance gate must be chosen carefully depending on its intended amount of traffic and as a crime deterrent. Additionally, a gate should be a feature attraction on a property, complementing the surrounding wall and house beyond. For this reason a number of very different styled gates are manufactured. Most modern gates are made from steel, though many may have a wooden inset made out meranti or some other hard-wearing wood. Some entrance gates allow visibility between the property and the road beyond and some completely block out the outside world. Gates may be automated though this is still considered a luxury for many South African homes. It does however improve security due to the time where a gate is opened and closed being significantly less. Whatever one’s choice in entrance gate, they require regular maintenance against the natural elements.
