The Only Patented, Tamper Proof Gate Motor Manufactured in South Africa
All-steel, welded and concreted in on a 400x400x400mm base. Electronics locked 300mm+ above ground. Loadshedding-ready. Manufactured in Pretoria. Patent No. 2023/11222.
The Gate-Motor Theft Epidemic Has an Engineered Answer
Gate motor theft is a South African epidemic. Standard gate motors can be levered off in under five minutes, unbolted with a spanner, or cut free with an angle grinder. Insurance excess claims and repeat break-ins have made this one of the most frustrating vulnerabilities on residential and commercial properties in Gauteng. The Polecat was engineered from the frame outwards specifically to defeat this – not with alarms or brackets, but with a patented integration that makes theft physically impractical.
South African Patent 2023/11222 Protects the Way We Hide the Motor
South African Patent No. 2023/11222 was granted to Gert Johannes Bouwer on 26 June 2024 under the Patents Act 1978, section 44(1). The seal of the Patent Office was affixed at Pretoria. The patent specifically protects the arrangement of gate motor components – the way we combine horizontal, vertical, and diagonal integration of the motor into the upright steel frame of the gate itself. It is this arrangement, not any single feature, that makes the Polecat legally impossible to copy.
Your Gate Keeps Working, Even When Eskom Doesn’t
Loadshedding stops most gate motors dead the moment mains drop. The Polecat is engineered for exactly the opposite: it keeps operating through Stage 6 blocks and beyond, on battery backup, without the drama of you having to get out of your car to push the gate open in the rain. Every Polecat ships with a battery. Upgrade paths and solar options let you extend uptime as far as your property demands.
Engineered to Be Installed Right the First Time
The Polecat is designed for competent, experienced installers first. Two hours for someone who’s done this before, around three hours the first time. Every design decision has an installer benefit: two-button programming so you don’t need a technician’s degree, three twist knobs so you can fine-tune without wading through menus, a printed quick-start card in every box so you can leave the manual in the van. We build for installers because installers build for customers.
Approximately 90% Lightning Protection – Built Into the Frame
South Africa gets more lightning ground-strikes per square kilometre than almost anywhere on earth. Standard gate motors don’t survive close strikes – the electronics fry, the boards burn, and you’re waiting for insurance. The Polecat’s all-steel outer frame acts as a Faraday cage: it conducts the electromagnetic pulse around the electronics rather than through them. Approximately 90% lightning protection on the low-voltage side. The 230V mains supply is still your responsibility – fit a surge protector, it’s cheap insurance.
A Thief Can’t Steal What They Can’t Recognise
Traditional gate motor design puts a large plastic housing next to the gate, screams ‘gate motor here’, and gives the thief a target. The Polecat inverts that logic. It integrates into the upright steel frame of the gate itself, sits flush against the pole, and from the street looks like part of the fence structure. Neighbours notice on the second or third visit. Thieves cruising for easy grabs don’t notice at all. That’s our first line of defence: obscurity engineered into the industrial design.
Gate Motors
Add-ons & Upgrades
Manufactured in Pretoria, Since 2022
Polecat is a South African engineered, designed and manufactured product. Every unit is welded, assembled and quality-controlled at our workshop at Plot 41R Zwavelpoort, Pretoria. That local footprint means we own the supply chain, honour warranty claims with a 7 working-day carry-in turnaround, and answer installer support calls ourselves.
Nationwide South Africa, Priority Gauteng
Our installer network is Gauteng-first: 20 locked service areas including Zwavelpoort, Faerie Glen, Centurion, Midrand, Boksburg, Krugersdorp and 14 more. Outside Gauteng? We ship nationwide and are actively growing our installer network.
Ready to Eliminate Gate Motor Theft on Your Property?
Enquire now for a quote. Collection from Plot 41R Zwavelpoort, Pretoria, or nationwide delivery via trusted courier – typical dispatch 1-7 business days depending on stock.