A small start in Korsten
ColouRight Paints works from Korsten, Gqeberha, supplying paint, colour matching and product advice to homeowners, small contractors and local tradespeople. The focus is on accurate mixing and helping customers choose finishes for plaster, wood and metal, with the right quantity for each job.
Gqeberha weather can be hard on painted surfaces, with sea air, humidity and strong sun all doing their part. From the beginning, the team focused on giving advice that made sense for local conditions, whether someone was repainting a coastal boundary wall, a rental unit in Newton Park, or a shopfront that needed a fresh look without wasting money.
Learning the local job
As the business settled into the community, the range expanded to suit the daily needs of DIY customers and contractors working across the city. More decorator supplies were added, along with practical help for surface preparation, repaint troubleshooting and sample pot mixing. That support mattered, because a good finish starts long before the first coat goes on.
- Matching colours for interior feature walls, ceilings and trim.
- Mixing sample pots for homes, offices and rental properties.
- Advising on primers, fillers, masking materials and application tools.
- Helping customers plan quantities so they did not underbuy or overspend.
By this stage, the team had also built a solid understanding of common local issues like peeling paint after damp winters, chalking on sunny exterior walls, and rust on steel work close to the coast. That practical advice helped customers get better results with fewer call-backs.
Stronger trade support
During these years, trade demand increased and the business adjusted with it. Contractors wanted quicker service, clearer product recommendations and better support for bigger jobs. ColouRight Paints responded by strengthening trade order support and bulk quantity planning, while keeping the personal service that had made the branch trusted in the first place.
The team also started working more closely with builders, painters and property managers in areas such as Walmer and Newton Park. For larger jobs, the focus moved beyond individual tins to full project planning, including repaint schedules, coverage estimates and product choice for different surfaces. It was plain hard work, but it paid off.
- More support for contractor accounts and repeat orders.
- Better planning for multi-room repaints and body corporate work.
- Clearer guidance for exterior coatings in coastal and inland conditions.
- Help with order timing so projects could continue during load-shedding and weather delays.
Colour matching becomes a signature service
As the business grew, colour matching became one of its best-known strengths. Customers were no longer just looking for a standard shade from a tin, they wanted a very specific hue for a feature wall, a branded office space or a touch-up that had to blend with an existing finish. Luvo Jacobs and the colour team helped refine that service so customers could bring in a sample, a chip, or even a small painted piece and get close matches with proper advice on finish and lighting.
This period also saw stronger relationships with customers in Sandton, Randburg and Bellville, while the base in Korsten remained the centre of the operation. That combination of local roots and wider reach gave the business a practical edge. If a project needed advice for a humid coastal home in Gqeberha or a high-traffic office in Johannesburg, the team could point customers in the right direction.
For many people, the main value was simple: less guessing, fewer return trips and a better final result. That kind of consistency matters, especially when a colour looks different in morning light, late afternoon sun or under indoor fittings.
Keeping projects moving
These years brought pressure to many homes and businesses, from delayed maintenance to tighter budgets and more work done in stages. ColouRight Paints focused on keeping the essentials available and helping customers plan projects carefully, whether they were refreshing a family home, repainting a flat block, or keeping a workshop tidy and compliant.
Advice during this period often centred on practical matters: how to prep a wall properly, what to do about flaking paint after rain, and how to finish a job when power cuts interrupted the workday. The team also helped customers think ahead with quantities and drying times so they could avoid wasted trips and avoidable mistakes.
The company base in Korsten stayed busy, and branch support across Cape Town and Joburg became more important as customers looked for the same level of service in different cities. It was not a flashy time, but it was an important one for proving that steady service counts.
A wider footprint, same practical approach
ColouRight Paints serves customers from Korsten, Walmer, Newton Park, Sandton, Randburg and Bellville. The team includes Khathu Mahlaba, Anika van Rensburg, Luvo Jacobs, Ompha Mlambo, Mark Petersen and Noluthando Mokoena, each with a clear role across operations, retail support, colour matching and trade sales.
The business now handles paint colour matching, custom tinting, colour consultation, product recommendations, surface prep advice and contractor account help for both homeowners and professionals. Whether someone is doing a single room or managing a multi-unit repaint, the aim stays the same: give proper guidance, accurate colour work and service that respects the job at hand.
- Korsten remains the main base for local service and mix work.
- Joburg and Cape Town branches support wider customer demand.
- Trade customers get help with order planning and repeat requirements.
- DIY customers get straightforward advice without unnecessary fuss.
From a first counter to a broader service network today, the story has been steady rather than loud. That has suited the business well, because good paint work is built on preparation, timing and trust, not shortcuts.