Features

S. Africa’s Top Architects

Overview of South Africa’s leading architectural companies.

Updated on

January 18, 2024

An architect briefs a client. PHOTO | FILE

Architectural companies play a key role in the shaping of a nation’s built-environment.

The South Africa we know today was visualised by thousands of architects who then passed their vision to building contractors who then implemented the envisioned plans.

Here is a listing of the best architects in South Africa.

SBE Architects

With more than 30 years of operations, SBE Africa (Pty) Ltd is one of the leading architecture companies in South Africa specialising in high-class residential architecture, townhouses, and commercial buildings.

The architectural company has been involved in projects in Gauteng, Polokwane, Plettenberg Bay, Zimbali, among other areas.

Outside South Africa, SBE Africa has worked on residential houses in Lusaka, Zambia and luxury homes and townhouses in Angola. It has also handled projects in Rwanda, Botswana and Mozambique.

Hofman Architects

Hofman Architects, a full-service architectural firm based in Waterkloof, Pretoria, is one of the country’s top architecture company.

Founded in 1994 by Tony Hofman, the firm has been a key player in the design of structures across South Africa. The company says it is committed to its clients’ vision and a sustainable built environment.

Integrated Design Consultants

With offices in South Africa and Europe, IDC is one of the top architectural companies in South Africa with expertise in the residential, commercial, industrial, heritage, health and educational sectors.

The company has over the last twenty years offered creative innovation through design-specific, architectural solutions that promise to meet the vision and needs of its clients.

AMA Architects

Established in 1993, AMA Architects is one of the top South African architects based in Sandton.

The company has been a major player in the design and delivery of office buildings, specialised retail projects, luxury homes, extensive commercial refurbishments, and office relocations.

AMA Architects incorporates the services of D12 Interiors into its offerings.

Paragon Architects

Established in 1997, Paragon Architects is a Johannesburg-based architectural outfit that offers commercial architecture, master planning, interior design and space planning to property developers.

The company delivers various architectural genres including commercial offices, retail, education, hotel and leisure, interior architecture and residential.

GAPP Architects

GAPP Architects and Urban Designers is a leading South African architectural practice with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The company’s team is made up of accomplished individuals in the fields of Architecture, Urban Design, Spatial Planning and Asset Planning.

GAPP Architects says it maintains the highest professional standards from design excellence to client collaboration in order to create structures that can stand as a legacy for generations hereafter.

SVA International

SVA International, a member of the Gibb Group of Companies, is one of the biggest architecture firms in South Africa.

The history of SVA International dates back to 1943, when Bauhaus-trained architect Hellmut Stauch founded Stauch Vorster Architects with Robin Vorster in Pretoria.

Over the years, the company has grown into an architectural giant with more than 1,000 projects across the continent and offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

SVA International also has offices in Nigeria, Mozambique and Mauritius.

Boogertman + Partners Architects

Boogertman + Partners is a leading South African studio for architecture, interior design, urban design and graphic design.

Established in 1982, the company has grown to become one of Africa’s largest architecture firm with offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Durban and Nairobi.

The company, which is one of the gold founder members of the Green Building Council of South Africa, has projects throughout Africa and the Middle East.

A3 Architects

A3 Architects, which was established in 1991, is a top architectural company in South Africa – with offices in Johannesburg, Kwazulu Natal and Mbombela.

The company says it has a high ratio of qualified professional staff, which ensures the maintenance of a dynamic approach at all levels of project execution: architects urban designers architectural technologists project managers interior designers 3D artists graphic designers.