What a fantastic experience. The new louvre awning has made such a difference to our outdoor space and has honestly exceeded our expectations. The attention to detail during the installation was excellent, and the whole team was friendly, respectful, and easy to deal with. It looks like it was always meant to be part of the house. Thank you for a job well done!
Aluminium Awnings · Drop Awnings & Blindsdrop awnings.
Guided outdoor blinds that drop over the open side of a patio, louvre awning or pergola. Mesh, block-out or clear panels, motorised or crank-driven, made to your opening.
Free site visit · Motorised or manual crank · Retrofits to existing structures
Drop Awnings
Close the open side of the patio.
A drop awning, also sold as a drop blind or outdoor roller blind, is a fabric panel that runs down guides or cables over the open side of a patio. Down, it cuts wind, glare, rain-splash and evening chill; up, it disappears into a slim roll and the opening is completely clear. It adds a wall exactly when you want one, without building one.
The hardware is powder-coated aluminium and the fabric is chosen for the job: shade mesh that keeps the view and bleeds the wind through, block-out fabric for full shade and privacy, or clear PVC panels that seal a sitting area while keeping it light. Each blind is made to the opening we measure and fits new builds or an existing structure equally well. We fit Somfy motors and remotes on our motorised blinds.
3
Fabric families: mesh, block-out, clear
0
Floor space taken
2
Motorised or manual crank
100%
Made to your opening
Where they go
Where we fit them
On the structure you have, on the one we build, or around a commercial space.
Built for the Cape
Made for the windy side of the house.
A projecting awning has to hide from the south-easter. A drop awning is different: it runs in guides against the opening, so gusts load the fabric evenly instead of levering an arm, and shade mesh bleeds the wind through while the view stays. It is the right product for the exposed side of a patio. Clear PVC is the exception: it catches wind rather than bleeding it, so on a genuinely wild day roll it up.
Powder-coated aluminium roll tube, guides & hardware
Shade mesh, block-out or clear-panel fabrics
Side guides or tensioned cables to suit the opening
Crank handle, or a tubular motor and remote
Fits our structures or retrofits to your existing patio
How it works
From brief to hand-over
01
Brief & site visit
A free, no-obligation site visit anywhere in Cape Town and the Western Cape. We measure, photograph, and talk through configurations, materials and finishes.
02
Design & quote
A detailed, fixed written quote with finish samples and pricing, within 48 hours of the site visit. No surprises on the day.
03
Fabrication
The roll tube and guides are cut and powder-coated, and the blind is cut and seamed to size in your chosen fabric, then test-run before it leaves for site.
04
Install & hand-over
Our own crew installs and wires the motor where one is fitted. Most drop awnings go up in a day, finishing with clean-up and a walkthrough of the controls. Lead time from accepted quote to sign-off is 4–5 weeks.
Guaranteed
We stand behind our installs
Drop awnings and outdoor blinds carry no structural guarantee; the fabric and motor carry their makers’ warranties. Current terms apply to installations from 1 June 2026. Installations completed before then keep the guarantee in place at the time; see our terms.
Lifetime
Corrosion guarantee
2 Year
Workmanship guarantee
Drop awning FAQs
Good to know
What is a drop awning?
A fabric blind that drops vertically over the open side of a patio, balcony or pergola, running in aluminium side guides or on tensioned cables. It is the same product many suppliers call a drop blind or outdoor roller blind. Up, it disappears into a slim roll; down, it closes the opening against wind, glare and rain-splash.
Should I choose mesh, block-out or clear panels?
Shade mesh is the default: it keeps most of the view, cuts glare and UV, and lets wind bleed through rather than fight the blind. Block-out fabric gives full shade and privacy, which is the pick for a west-facing opening or a screening job. Clear PVC panels close a sitting area against weather while keeping it light, which is why cafés and venues use them. Many patios mix fabrics across openings, and we spec it per side at the site visit.
Can drop awnings handle Cape Town wind?
Better than any projecting awning. The blind runs in guides against the structure, so gusts load the fabric evenly instead of levering an arm, and mesh lets the wind bleed through while taking the bite out of it. The honest limit is clear PVC, which catches wind rather than bleeding it: on a genuinely wild day, roll clear panels up.
Do drop awnings keep out rain?
They stop wind-driven rain from soaking a patio, which is most of what a Cape winter throws sideways at an outdoor room. They are not a roof: for cover overhead you need a louvre roof, fixed awning or patio ceiling, with the drop awning closing the open side.
Can you fit them to my existing patio or pergola?
Yes. Drop awnings retrofit to existing louvre awnings, pergolas, fixed awnings, IBR patio roofs and plain wall openings. The fixing detail changes with the structure, and that is one of the things we confirm on the free site visit.
Motorised or manual crank?
A crank handle is simple and reliable on smaller blinds. A tubular motor with a remote makes sense on wide openings, anything above easy reach, and patios with three or four blinds, where one press closes the lot. Motors need a power point nearby; we plan the wiring at the site visit.
How wide can a single drop awning go?
A single blind spans most domestic openings. Wider patios are closed with two or more blinds run side by side, sharing guides so the line reads as one. We measure the opening and tell you exactly how it will be split before you commit.
Start your project
Free on-site visit, fixed quote within 48 hours. Anywhere in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Lifetime Guarantee
Free Site Visit
Accredited Somfy Expert
Western Cape Coverage
Dedicated Project Management
Fully Written Guarantee
Pricing
Priced on measurement
Drop Awnings & Outdoor Blinds
Guided drop blinds in mesh, block-out or clear-panel fabrics, motorised or crank-driven, made to the opening.
Drop awnings are quoted per blind, not per square metre. Width, fabric and the drive matter more than the area. The quote is issued in writing after a free site visit. See full price comparison.
Reviews
Rated 5.0 on Google
Every review here is from our Google Business Profile, shown word for word and unedited.
We were looking for a modern, low-maintenance patio cover that suited our home in Stellenbosch, and this was exactly what we wanted. The finish is beautiful, the installation was neat, and communication throughout the project was excellent. It’s given us a space we can enjoy all year round. We would definitely use Aluminium Awnings again.
Aluminium Awnings Cape Town enclosed our Constantia patio with a manual louvre roof, full white, with aluminium doors and windows all round, and it's honestly become our favourite part of the house. We use it right through winter now. The rain and the wind don't get in, and it's so easy to wind the louvres open when the sun comes out. Neat, tidy install with a friendly team, and the white finish looks really clean against the house. Couldn't be happier, highly recommend.
Ryan and his team were awesome and really went the extra mile to make our awning perfect! Can definitely recommend them!
Very happy with the replacement of our awning after it got damaged in the May storm. More sturdy and stronger
We recently had a louvre awning installed by Aluminium Awnings at our home in Durbanville, and we’re so pleased with the result. The quality of the workmanship is excellent, and the finished product has completely transformed our outdoor space. The team was professional, arrived on time, and kept us informed throughout the installation. We looked at a few different companies before deciding, and we’re really glad we chose Aluminium Awnings. If you’re considering louvre awnings in Cape Town, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.
Had a great experience with Alminium Awnings from start to finish. Ryan was incredible and made the entire process stress-free. The product come out better than imagined. Overall I am really happy and would definitely recommend using them in the future. Thanks guys for such a great job.
Wonderfully professional and friendly service from the whole team. I commend them on their attention to detail. I recommend them highly.
Great service unmatched quality their eye to detail shows would hire them again in a heart beat 10/10
Aluminium Awnings is so professional from start to finish. They make the process easy and understandable from day 1. The quality of their work is outstanding, we are so happy! I highly recommend them!
Absolutely thrilled with our new louvre awning from Aluminium Awnings. From start to finish, the service was professional, the installation was neat, and the finished product looks incredible. We’re based in Blouberg, so we wanted something that would work well with the coastal conditions and strong winds, while still giving us control over the sunlight and shade. The louvre awning has completely transformed the outside area and the quality of the aluminium structure and finish is excellent. Would definitely recommend Aluminium Awnings to anyone in Blouberg or Cape Town looking for a quality louvre awning. Very happy with the end result!
Fast Reliable Great Service!
Very professional and quick service from Aluminium Awnings, also very competitive pricing. I would highly recommend them.
Top-quality aluminium awnings and patio enclosures! The craftsmanship, structure, and installation finish are truly impressive. Highly professional team, great communication, and seamless service from start to finish. Outstanding work!
Rated 5 out of 5, no written review.