With Covid-19 regulations requiring increased capacity to ensure adequate space to comply with physical distancing measures, modular buildings manufacturer Kwikspace Modular Buildings is seeing increased demand for its mobile classroom solutions, producing 497 classrooms so far this year.

Traditionally, demand for these classrooms is driven by the need for added capacity at over-crowded schools, to accommodate learners during building renovations and the need for appropriate learner-friendly educational infrastructure in under-developed rural areas.

This is in addition to enabling the delivery of quality education in a conducive learning environment and increasing access to quality preschool education, says Kwikspace Factory Executive Johan Liebenberg.

The prefabricated portable classrooms manufactured by Kwikspace are supplied across South Africa where populated areas demand a higher volume of classrooms and can be rented or purchased.

Rented classrooms are delivered to site in five to 14 working days, while purchased classrooms take four to six weeks to deliver, factoring in manufacturing and preparation periods.

The company has also received cross-border interest from sub-Saharan African countries and has supplied these classrooms to neighbouring countries.

For South Africa, Kwikspace received multiple orders ranging from 100 to 150 classrooms between March and October.

Listed as an essential service provider for its supply of classrooms, Kwikspace was only affected during the Level 5 lockdown restrictions implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19, says Liebenberg.

Established in 1972, Kwikspace has been supplying classrooms for nearly 50 years to make a positive impact in society to accommodate learners throughout South-Africa.

The units supplied by Kwikspace are manufactured using high-quality products and polyurethane panels, which are manufactured locally in its Klipriver plant, in Johannesburg, Gauteng, and offer better insulation properties compared with polystyrene panels, explains Liebenberg.

Classrooms are available in standard dimensions of 7 m x 7 m, 7 m x 8 m, 17.42 m x 7.06 m and are supplied as a turnkey solution, fitted with additional items such as chalk boards, pin boards or white boards.

The manufacturing process involves 476 people and 60 units can be produced in a shift. A classroom can be produced in two hours.

All the raw materials used to manufacture Kwikspace classrooms are produced by local suppliers. Units comprise a steel chassis, floorboards and polyurethane panels, which are fitted with internal electrics that comply with South African National Standards as well as plumbing, which is specifically for Grade R classrooms and ablution facilities.

Once completed, classrooms are transported to site using a truck as two separate slices and are joined on site using the Kwikspace approved joining method.