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30 years in South Africa

Legrand, manufacturer of products and systems for electrical and digital building infrastructures, opened a South African subsidiary 30 years ago. Today, Legrand SA has a comprehensive distribution network across southern Africa. The Group, with a 4,5-billion EUR turnover, employs a team of about 35 000 people in more than 70 countries.

Legrand’s environmentally approach to constantly changing global markets, encompasses ongoing technological developments of the company’s extensive product portfolio. Energy efficiency, quality power supply, optimum safety and enhanced aesthetics are critical in the advancement of all Legrand systems. The range features innovative designs to meet exact user demands, also allowing for simple and efficient installation and modification.

The latest trend in the development of new systems – including lighting and motion management systems – is to make industrial, commercial and domestic buildings more energy efficient. There is also an important focus in South Africa on enhanced safety. New CCTV solutions, emergency lighting devices, home automation solutions and video door entry systems have recently been launched to the local market.

The company has made a substantial investment in research, development and design to adapt products specifically to the South African market.

Product portfolio

Legrand systems include power distribution, switches and sockets, residential and lighting management components, cable management and structured cabling, as well as connection products.

Areas of speciality

These flexible systems provide solutions in installations in residential, hospitality, office, retail and educational environments. Products and systems are also designed for data centres and industrial applications.

Showroom and training facility

Legrand head office.

Legrand’s showroom at the company’s Johannesburg head office encompasses a specialist training facility designed for interactive tuition modules that cover the company’s extensive range of electrical and digital building infrastructures.

Training programmes are tailored for a diverse customer base, including architects, distributors, electricians and specifiers. This facility meets the demand locally for practical training in product selection, energy efficiency, installation rules, repair and maintenance requirements, as well as safety regulations in the commercial, industrial and domestic sectors.

Courses include Arteor wiring devices (switches and sockets) as well home automation solutions, power and protection (circuit breakers, enclosures, busbars, transformers and UPS). Other topics are cable management (DLP trunking, Soluflex, power poles, desktop modules, pop-up boxes), VDI (Legrand Cabling System - LCS²), lighting energy management and healthcare solutions.

Apart from these training modules, Legrand also offers tailor-made training solutions to a customer’s exact requirements.

The new 450 m² showroom displays general products, as well as theme rooms to show case dedicated product solutions, emphasising home automation, hospitality, healthcare and the office environment.

Local news

Legrand is proud to be part of the South African SAFEhouse Association, which comprises a group of local organisations in the electrical sector, committed to creating a strong SAFEhouse brand, that is synonymous with quality and safety. The SAFEhouse Association addresses the prevalence of sub-standard electrical products in South Africa, that often do not conform to local regulations.

Legrand Concept Stores have been established in strategic centres around the country and form part of Legrand’s drive to boost its specialist electrical solutions offering to contractors, architects, consultants and interior designers, as well as the end user.

These Legrand Concept Stores, which are owned and managed by carefully selected partners, are dedicated showrooms that display a wide range of Legrand products, from high end quality domestic switches and sockets, to sophisticated building management systems.

Specialist stores also showcase CCTV and access control systems, power equipment, emergency lighting, home automation devices and cable management systems. Technical experts are always on hand to advise on the finest electrical solution for every installation.

The company benefits from the group’s ongoing research and development programme and close international ties give the local operation the edge on product design, selection, cost efficiency, safety and reliability of equipment.

Global news

For the first time, the Legrand Group has been included in the 2015 Global 100 index of the 100 most sustainable corporations worldwide, ranking in 48th place. Established annually by Corporate Knights, the Global 100 index is released each year at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. It comprises the 100 companies worldwide most committed to sustainable development and which successfully reconcile sustainability and financial performance.

The ranking includes corporations from all sectors of the economy and from 22 different countries. It is established on the basis of a set of 12 criteria combining performance in financial terms and on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

Legrand’s entry into the Global 100 reflects the integration of CSR at the very heart of the group’s development strategy.

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