Automatic sliding doors South Africa businesses rely on turn a shopfront, clinic or office entrance into a smooth, hands-free door – opening on sensors and closing safely, thousands of times a day. Coetz supplies, installs and services the automatic sliding doors South Africa needs, from single shopfront doors to wide bi-parting mall entrances, nationwide. This guide answers the common questions and shows the range, prices and options.
Automatic sliding doors South Africa: types and systems
The automatic sliding doors South Africa premises use come in a few forms, matched to the opening and traffic. Our flagship MC-125 automatic sliding door system powers most installations, and you can see how the sliding door mechanism works under the hood:
- Single-slide doors – one moving panel for standard shopfronts.
- Bi-parting doors – two panels for wide, busy entrances.
- Telescopic doors – a wide opening within a narrow wall.
- Heavy-duty doors – large glass and high-traffic sites.
Whether you call them automatic sliding doors, sensor doors or electric sliding doors, Coetz supplies and installs them across the country – explore the full automatic doors range or our automatic door services by city.
Questions about automatic sliding doors in South Africa? Call 010 412 0062 or WhatsApp 076 613 4418 and our team will help. Before quoting automatic sliding doors in South Africa, we check the opening, the power supply and the traffic, then give a fixed price.
For automatic sliding doors in South Africa, MC Automations, our parent company, handles installation and servicing, with installation included in Gauteng. We hold genuine spares locally for automatic sliding doors in South Africa, so repairs do not wait on imported parts.
Automatic Sliding Doors South Africa matters for South African property owners planning windows, doors or automatic entrances. This guide explains automatic sliding doors South Africa clearly so you can decide with confidence. In this guide we look at automatic sliding doors South Africa in line with recognised automatic door technology.
Automatic sliding doors are the default entrance for most modern shopping centres, hospitals, offices and retail stores — and for good reason. They move people through an entrance faster than any other door type, they keep conditioned air inside, and they give everyone barrier-free access without a single handle to touch.
But when it comes time to specify, buy or repair one, the practical questions start piling up. Below we’ve answered the questions we get asked most often by centre managers, facilities teams, shopfitters and business owners across South Africa.
How do automatic sliding doors actually work?
An automatic sliding door has four main parts working together:
- The operator — a motor and gearbox housed in the header above the door, driving a belt that moves the door panels.
- Activation sensors — usually microwave or infrared units mounted on the header, one facing outward and one facing inward, that detect someone approaching.
- Safety sensors — separate beams or presence detectors that stop or reverse the door if someone is standing in the opening.
- The control unit — the electronics that decide when to open, how fast to move, and how long to hold the door open.
When a sensor picks up movement in its detection field, it signals the controller, which drives the motor to open the panels. After a set hold-open time with no further detection, the door closes.
What types of automatic sliding doors are there?
The main configurations you’ll come across:
When a sliding entrance is not the answer
For landmark lobbies with continuous two-way flow, a revolving entrance can suit better — we set out the trade-offs in automatic door vs revolving door. For most commercial buildings the sliding entrance remains the practical choice.
- Single sliding — one moving panel, slides to one side. Best for narrow openings.
- Bi-parting — two panels that part in the middle. The standard for retail and centre entrances.
- Telescopic — two or three panels that stack to the same side, giving a wider clear opening in a limited space.
- Frameless glass — a minimal, high-end look for showrooms and premium retail.
- Hermetic sliding — sealed doors for theatres, ICUs and clean rooms in healthcare facilities.
How much do automatic sliding doors cost in South Africa?
Pricing depends on the size of the opening, the glass and aluminium specification, the operator system chosen, and what’s involved in the installation. As a rough guide, commercial automatic sliding doors generally start from R27 590 excluding VAT for the MC-125 sliding door system, with bi-parting and heavy-duty systems costing more.
What the running costs look like
Purchase is only part of it. Our automatic door maintenance cost guide sets out what a service visit is priced against, and the automatic door repair cost guide publishes every MC-125 and MCW-100 part price so you can sanity-check any quote. Where an entrance is already in place, the cost to automate an existing door is usually the cheaper route.
We’ve broken the numbers down in detail in our complete guide to automatic door prices in South Africa.
Can I automate my existing sliding door?
Often, yes. Many existing manual entrances can be upgraded by fitting an automatic operator to the current frame and panels, which is significantly cheaper than replacing the whole entrance.
What to confirm before you order
The leaf has to be within the operator’s working range and the frame sound enough for powered cycles. Our installation checklist covers the measurements, the power supply at the head and the escape-route questions that decide whether a retrofit is viable.
Whether it’s viable depends on the condition of the existing frame, the weight of the panels, whether there’s structural support above the opening for the header, and whether power can be brought to the header. A site inspection is the only way to give you a straight answer.
What happens to automatic doors during load shedding?
This is the question we get asked more than any other in South Africa, and it matters for both trading and compliance.
You have a few options:
- Battery backup (UPS): A backup unit in the header keeps the door operating normally for a period during an outage, or drives it to a safe open or closed position and holds it there.
- Manual break-out: Panels that swing open under hand pressure, so people can always get out.
- Fail-safe or fail-secure setting: The operator can be configured to default to open (for escape) or closed (for security) when power is lost. Which one you choose depends on whether the door is on an escape route and what your security requirements are.
For any entrance that forms part of an emergency escape route, the door must still allow people out during a power failure. That isn’t optional, and it’s the first thing we check on a site assessment.
Are automatic doors compliant with South African building regulations?
Automatic entrances fall under the National Building Regulations and the SANS 10400 series. The parts most likely to affect your entrance are those covering access for persons with disabilities, glazing, and fire protection and escape routes.
In practical terms, this usually means:
- Safety glazing to the required standard — laminated or toughened glass, correctly marked.
- A clear opening width that allows wheelchair access.
- Escape capability under power failure where the door is on an escape route.
- Safety sensors that prevent the door closing on a person.
Requirements vary depending on the occupancy class of the building and the interpretation of your local authority, so always confirm the specifics with your building control officer or fire consultant before finalising a specification.
Are automatic sliding doors safe?
Modern systems are built around safety. Presence sensors detect anyone standing in the door path and prevent the panels from closing. Obstruction detection reverses the door if it meets resistance while closing. Opening and closing speeds and hold-open times are adjustable to suit the traffic in your building.
Activation and safety are different jobs
An activation sensor decides when the door opens; a safety sensor decides when it must not close. A door can activate perfectly and still be unsafe. See our guides to automatic door sensors and activation methods.
Safety depends on those sensors being correctly set up and kept in working order — which is exactly why regular servicing isn’t just about avoiding breakdowns.
Why won’t my automatic door close all the way?
The most common causes, roughly in the order we find them:
- Dirty or misaligned safety sensors — the door thinks something is in the opening. Sensor lenses collect dust, cobwebs and fingerprints surprisingly fast.
- Debris in the track — grit, packaging or stock offcuts in the bottom guide.
- Worn rollers or hangers — the panel isn’t running true anymore.
- Belt tension — a stretched or slipping drive belt.
- Controller settings — closing position drifted out of calibration.
Cleaning the sensor lenses and clearing the track are safe to do yourself. Anything past that involves live electrics and heavy glass panels, so call a technician.
Why does my automatic door keep opening on its own?
Almost always something is triggering the activation sensor. Common culprits: a hanging promotional banner or shelf ticket moving in a draught, an aircon vent blowing directly across the detection field, rain, reflective flooring, or the sensor field extending further than it should and picking up passing foot traffic.
The fix is usually re-aiming the sensor or reducing its detection field — a quick adjustment for a technician.
Why won’t my automatic door open at all?
Work through these in order:
- Check the power supply and the isolator or circuit breaker for the door.
- Check the mode switch — it’s easy for staff to leave the door on “manual”, “exit only” or “locked”.
- Check that the sensors are clean and unobstructed.
- Check that nothing is physically blocking the panel or track.
If it’s one side only — people can get out but not in, or vice versa — that points to a single failed activation sensor rather than a power problem. If neither side works, look at power first.
How often should automatic doors be serviced?
We recommend preventative servicing every six months for a standard commercial entrance. High-traffic entrances — a busy centre entrance, a hospital, a fast-food outlet — often warrant quarterly attention.
Setting the interval against cycles
Frequency should track the traffic the door actually carries rather than the calendar. Where several doors are involved, an automatic door service contract is usually more economical than reactive callouts. A door that starts making new noises is telling you a service is due.
An automatic door on a retail entrance can cycle thousands of times a day. Rollers, belts and sensors are wear items, and a scheduled service catches a failing component while it’s still a small part instead of an emergency call-out on a Saturday morning with your entrance stuck open.
How long does an automatic sliding door last?
A well-specified system that’s serviced properly will typically give you well over a decade of service. The panels, frame and glass usually outlast the operator, which is why an operator replacement on an existing frame is such a common upgrade.
What the cycle figure means in practice
The MC-125 has been tested to 1 million operating cycles — at 200 openings a day that is well over a decade. Our durability guide explains how that figure translates to a real entrance.
Are automatic sliding doors the same as electric sliding doors?
Yes — “electric sliding doors” and “electric doors” are everyday names for the same thing: an automatic sliding door driven by an electric operator. Whether you call it an automatic, electric or sensor door, it is the same MC-125-type system that opens on approach and closes behind you. If you have been quoted for “electric sliding doors”, that is exactly what we supply.
The MC-125 at a glance
The MC-125 is the automatic sliding door operator Coetz™ supplies, installs and services. It runs on a brushless motor and is tested to 1,000,000 operating cycles.
- Leaf weight: up to 150 kg for a single leaf, or 2 × 120 kg for double (bi-parting) leaves.
- Opening width: 1450–3100 mm for a single door and 2500–5000 mm for a double door.
- Speed: opening speed 150–460 mm/s, with the hold-open time set at commissioning.
- Power: AC 110–220 V, 50/60 Hz, with an optional backup battery for load shedding.
- Price: the complete MC-125 system starts from R27 590 excl. VAT, with installation included in Gauteng and quoted per project elsewhere.
The main parts of an automatic sliding door
An automatic sliding door is a handful of parts working together:
- Operator and motor – the powered header above the door that drives it.
- Drive belt – carries the motor’s movement to the door leaves.
- Rollers and track – carry the leaves smoothly along the opening.
- Activation sensor – sees someone approaching and opens the door.
- Safety (presence) sensor – holds the door open while someone is still in the opening.
- Controller – sets opening and closing speed, hold-open time and operating modes.
- Battery backup and lock – keep the door working through a power cut and secure it at night.
When a sliding door starts to misbehave, the cause is almost always one of these parts: a slipping belt, worn rollers, a dirty or misaligned sensor, or a controller setting. See the automatic door troubleshooting guide for what each symptom points to, and what wears out and when to replace it.
Need advice on your entrance?
MC Automations designs, supplies, installs, services and repairs automatic entrance doors for commercial, retail, healthcare, hospitality and industrial buildings throughout South Africa. We back every installation with our own MC-125 and MCW-100 operator systems, genuine spares and experienced technicians.
Whether you’re specifying a new entrance, upgrading an existing one, or need a door repaired, get in touch for a site assessment and quotation.
From retail and malls to clinics, offices and service stations, the automatic sliding doors South Africa businesses choose all share the same essentials – a reliable operator, safe sensors and quality glass. Coetz specifies each automatic sliding door to its traffic and building, so the automatic sliding doors South Africa premises install keep working safely for years.
Buy automatic sliding doors South Africa wide from Coetz
Coetz is the team behind automatic sliding doors South Africa businesses trust – we supply, install and service them nationwide, from a single shopfront to a multi-door development. Every automatic sliding door is fitted with compliant sensors and a rated operator, commissioned to safe speeds and forces, and backed by genuine, locally-stocked spare parts. Because the automatic sliding doors South Africa relies on run thousands of cycles a day, we build them to last and respond fast when service is needed.
Ready to price automatic sliding doors South Africa premises need? Tell us the opening size and traffic level, browse our automatic doors range and the MC-125 system, or see automatic door services in your city, and we will quote supply and installation. Coetz makes ordering automatic sliding doors South Africa wide simple, safe and fast.
Where can I buy automatic sliding doors South Africa wide?
Coetz supplies automatic sliding doors South Africa wide – order the automatic sliding doors South Africa businesses need direct from Coetz, with installation and service arranged for your site nationwide.
Prices and layouts for the MC-125: motorised sliding doors.
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