Commercial shopfronts are the glazed fronts of every business that trades from street level: restaurants and cafés, offices and receptions, car and furniture showrooms, banks, estate agents, gyms, salons and trade counters. Coetz™ makes aluminium-framed and frameless frontages to measure at our workshop in Laser Park, Johannesburg, and MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs them, together with automatic sliding doors, automatic swing doors, pivot doors and hinged doors.
Outside Gauteng, MC Automations installs shopfronts in major cities and towns across South Africa, including Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, George, Rustenburg, Kimberley, Witbank, Klerksdorp, Potchefstroom, Mthatha, Port Shepstone, Newcastle, Secunda, Tzaneen, Welkom, Upington, Mahikeng, Middelburg, Ermelo, Ladysmith, Kokstad, Queenstown, Oudtshoorn, Worcester, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Musina, Bethlehem, Kroonstad, Harrismith, Vryheid, Graaff-Reinet, Paarl, Thohoyandou, Lephalale, Bela-Bela, Vryburg. In the Vaal Triangle, see aluminium shopfronts Vereeniging.
Inside the building, we also install glass partition walls and frameless glass doors.
You can lay out and price a framed frontage in the online estimator and download a drawing for your landlord, or send us your architect’s drawings for a full quote. This page explains how to choose the right frontage and entrance for each kind of building.
In this guide
What commercial shopfronts include
- Frame: a 44 mm commercial aluminium frame in fixed bays, with transoms (toplights) and sign bands where you need them.
- Glass: 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass as standard, up to 3 000 mm high; toughened, tinted, solar and obscure glass on request.
- Entrance: hinged, pivot, automatic sliding or automatic swing doors, single or double.
- Colour: any powder-coat colour, all at the same price.
- Installation: by MC Automations, after a site measure.
For a fully glazed look, see frameless shopfronts; for shops and malls, retail shopfronts; for medical practices and pharmacies, clinic shopfronts; for forecourt shops, petrol station shopfronts.
Why aluminium for commercial shopfronts?
Aluminium is the standard material for commercial shopfronts because it does three things at once. It is strong enough to hold large panes of glass in slim profiles, so the frontage is mostly glass. It never rusts, rots or needs painting, so a street front still looks sharp after years of sun, rain and hail. And its powder-coated or anodised finish is hard-wearing and easy to clean, which matters on a door that opens hundreds of times a day.
Commercial shopfronts in aluminium are also practical to live with. A cracked pane is replaced on its own without touching the frame. A door can be swapped for an automatic door later, because the frame is designed around a standard opening. And if the tenant changes, the frontage can often be adapted rather than rebuilt.
Choosing the entrance door
Every building type has a natural entrance. The table above shows what we usually recommend; here is the reasoning behind each door type.
Automatic sliding doors
For banks, pharmacies, busy offices and any building where people arrive all day, an automatic sliding door keeps the traffic moving and keeps the inside cool. The MC-125 automatic sliding door system is R27 590 excluding VAT, with sensors, remotes, battery backup and an electric lock, for openings 1 600 to 6 000 mm wide and 1 800 to 3 500 mm high. It locks in night mode, so the branch or office is secured at the end of the day.
Automatic swing doors
Where a hinged door must stay, for example in a narrow reception or a side passage, the MCW-100 automatic swing door operator, from R15 900 excluding VAT, makes it hands-free and accessible.
Pivot doors
Pivot doors give offices, law firms, hotels and showrooms a confident, architectural entrance: one wide leaf that turns smoothly on top and bottom pivots. Our aluminium pivot doors come in 1 200 and 1 500 mm widths and 2 100 and 2 400 mm heights from R10 494 excluding VAT; frameless glass pivot doors are quoted per project.
Hinged doors
Single and double aluminium hinged doors are the simplest entrance, included in the shopfront area in the estimator. Restaurants like double doors that open wide on warm evenings; trade counters and workshops like a robust single door.
Commercial shopfronts prices
Framed commercial shopfronts are priced per square metre for the aluminium and glass, at the same rate in any colour, with hinged doors included. Examples from the estimator, excluding VAT:
| Shopfront | Area | Price, excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 3 000 × 2 400 mm, single hinged door | 7.20 m² | R13 323 |
| 4 000 × 2 700 mm, double hinged doors | 10.80 m² | R19 984 |
| 6 000 × 3 000 mm, double hinged doors | 18.00 m² | R33 306 |
| 8 000 × 3 000 mm, double hinged doors | 24.00 m² | R44 408 |
| 4 000 × 2 400 mm, MC-125 automatic sliding door | 9.60 m² | R17 763 + R27 590 operator = R45 353 |
Installation is quoted by MC Automations after a site measure. Frameless sections, pivot doors and special glass are quoted per project. Read aluminium shopfront cost for what changes the price.
Restaurant and café shopfronts
Of all commercial shopfronts, a restaurant front sells atmosphere most. Clear glass lets passers-by see full tables, and double hinged doors that open wide bring the street inside on summer evenings. For a coffee shop with a takeaway queue, an automatic sliding door keeps the flow going and stops flies and dust coming in with every customer. Choose Black or Charcoal frames for a modern bistro, Bronze for a warmer, classic look. Plan a sign band above the doors and, if you have outside seating, keep the frontage clear of the umbrellas and heaters. See our café automatic doors project.
Office and reception shopfronts
For offices, commercial shopfronts are the first thing clients see. A glass front with a pivot door or an automatic sliding door says the business is open and confident, while tinted or solar glass keeps the reception cool and cuts glare on screens. Where the office is on a ground floor facing the street, laminated glass and an electric lock on the automatic door secure it after hours. For door choices in detail, see our guide to office entrance doors. For the windows in the rest of the building, see aluminium windows for offices.
Showrooms and dealerships
Commercial shopfronts for car, furniture, kitchen and tile showrooms need the biggest panes and the fewest interruptions, so the product can be seen from the road. Tall frontages up to 3 000 mm per pane, frameless sections, or a framed front with wide bays all work. A wide automatic sliding door, up to 6 000 mm with the MC-125, can double as a route for moving large stock in and out.
Banks, estate agents, gyms and salons
- Banks and branches: an automatic sliding door for constant traffic, laminated glass and an electric lock for security.
- Estate agents: a big display window for listings, with a hinged or pivot door.
- Gyms: obscure glass at the training floor for privacy, clear glass at reception, and a door that copes with constant use.
- Salons and spas: a calm pivot door and partly obscure glass so clients are not on show from the street.
Glass choices
Clear laminated safety glass is our standard and suits most fronts. On a west- or north-facing street front, a tinted or solar glass cuts glare and heat, which keeps a reception or restaurant comfortable in the afternoon and reduces the load on the air-conditioning. Obscure glass gives privacy in the lower panes of a gym, salon or office. Toughened glass is used for frameless doors and where the design specifies it. Every glass type is quoted with the frontage; see aluminium shopfront glass for the options side by side.
Replacing an old frontage
Many commercial shopfronts we install replace an old steel or timber front that has rusted, rotted or simply looks dated. MC Automations removes the old frame, makes good the opening and fits the new aluminium frontage, usually over a day or two for a standard front. Where the business must keep trading, the work can be phased so the shop is never left open. If the old front had a roller shutter or security gate, tell us at the measure so the new frame leaves room for it; the shutter or gate itself comes from your security supplier.
A design checklist
- Decide the entrance first: how many people, how often, and who.
- Keep the frame colour consistent with the signage and the interior.
- Plan a sign band or transom so the sign does not cover the glass.
- Use obscure glass only where privacy is needed.
- Allow for power at the door header if you may add an automatic door later.
- Get the landlord or body corporate to approve the estimator drawing before ordering.
Safety glass and compliance
All commercial shopfronts are glazed in safety glass, as SANS 10400-N requires for glazing at entrances and low level; the standard is published by the SABS. Large clear panes need manifestation at eye level so people do not walk into them. Accessible entrances follow SANS 10400-S, which an automatic door makes easy to meet. See shopfront glazing requirements, and for architects and contractors, our specification guide to custom commercial shopfronts.
How a commercial shopfront project runs
- Price or brief: lay the frontage out in the estimator, or send drawings and photos.
- Site measure: MC Automations checks the opening, the floor, the structure and the power for automatic doors.
- Quote: one quote for the frontage, the doors, any operator and the installation.
- Manufacture: made to measure in Laser Park.
- Installation: fitted by MC Automations and planned around your trading or office hours where possible.
MC Automations installs commercial shopfronts across Gauteng, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Sandton and Midrand; projects elsewhere in South Africa are quoted per project. Automatic doors carry a 24-month warranty on the operator and should be serviced every six months. See aluminium shopfronts Gauteng and custom shopfronts.
Commercial shopfronts: frequently asked questions
What are commercial shopfronts?
The glazed street-level fronts of businesses such as restaurants, offices, showrooms, banks and salons: an aluminium or frameless glass frontage with an entrance door.
How much do commercial shopfronts cost?
Framed frontages are priced per square metre in the online estimator. A 4 000 × 2 700 mm front with double hinged doors is R19 984 excluding VAT for the aluminium and glass; installation is quoted after a site measure.
Which door is best for an office entrance?
A pivot door or an automatic sliding door. Aluminium pivot doors start at R10 494 and the MC-125 automatic sliding door is R27 590, both excluding VAT.
Can you automate an existing hinged door?
Often, yes. The MCW-100 automatic swing door operator starts at R15 900 excluding VAT; MC Automations checks the door on site.
Who installs commercial shopfronts?
MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs every shopfront we make.
Can the frame match our brand colour?
Yes. Any powder-coat colour, so the frame can match your brand exactly, and every colour is the same price.
Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.