Plascon
Plascon is a South African paint and coatings brand operated by Kansai Plascon Africa and serving residential, commercial, industrial, and automotive markets across Africa.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Plascon is a South African paint and coatings brand with origins in a paint manufacturing business founded by Herbert Evans in Johannesburg in 1889. The company initially operated as Herbert Evans & Co., and later developed through a series of corporate and brand changes that established Plascon as one of the best-known paint businesses in South Africa and a significant participant in the wider African coatings market. An early stage in the brand's development came in 1915, when the business trademarked Parthenon Paints. In 1949, it combined with Chrome Chemicals to form Plascon. The name subsequently became associated with a broad portfolio of decorative and specialist coatings rather than with a single paint product. Plascon's activities have included paints for interior and exterior applications, decorative finishes, industrial coatings, and automotive use. In 1970, Barloworld, then known as Barlo Rand, acquired Plascon. At that time the business was reported to be producing approximately 100 million litres of paint annually and to rank among the world's 20 largest paint manufacturers. When Barloworld was unbundled in 2007, Plascon became part of Freeworld Coatings. This ownership structure was later replaced by Kansai Paint's acquisition of Plascon in 2011. The following year, the business changed its corporate name to Kansai Plascon Africa, while Plascon remained the principal consumer-facing brand. Under Kansai Paint ownership, Plascon has continued to operate from Krugersdorp and to expand its African commercial footprint. Its products are sold through independent paint retailers and home-improvement chains, including Builders Warehouse, Mica, BUCO, and Leroy Merlin in South Africa. The company has also pursued regional development, including the establishment of Kansai Plascon Nigeria Limited as a joint venture in 2015 and an African expansion strategy announced in 2017. Plascon competes in South Africa and surrounding African markets with international and regional coatings companies, notably Dulux, which is associated with AkzoNobel, and Duram. Its market position is based on a combination of long operating history, local manufacturing and distribution capability, brand recognition, and access to the international resources of Kansai Paint. The business serves both consumer-facing decorative paint demand and professional or industrial applications. In 2022, the South African Competition Commission blocked a proposed AkzoNobel acquisition of Plascon, arguing that a combination of the country's largest and second-largest paint manufacturers could reduce competition and consumer choice. Plascon remains an active Kansai Paint business and a prominent paint brand in the African market.
History
Plascon traces its origins to 1889, when Herbert Evans established a paint manufacturing business in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company was initially known as Herbert Evans & Co. Its early history reflects the development of South Africa's domestic coatings industry and the gradual emergence of branded paint products for household and commercial use. In 1915, the business trademarked Parthenon Paints. The brand and company structure changed again in 1949, when Herbert Evans & Co. joined with Chrome Chemicals to form Plascon. This combination created the corporate and commercial foundation for the Plascon name, which later became associated with a wide range of decorative and specialist coatings. Barloworld, then operating under the name Barlo Rand, acquired Plascon in 1970. The scale of the business was substantial by that point: it was reported to manufacture around 100 million litres of paint each year and to rank among the world's 20 largest paint manufacturers. Under Barloworld, Plascon continued as an important South African coatings operation. A further ownership change occurred in 2007, when Barloworld was unbundled and Freeworld Coatings was formed as the owner of Plascon. In 2011, Kansai Paint, a major Japanese coatings manufacturer, acquired Plascon. The following year, the operating company changed its name to Kansai Plascon Africa, linking the established South African brand with its new international parent while retaining Plascon as the market-facing identity. After the Kansai Paint acquisition, Plascon's activities continued to cover decorative paint for indoor and outdoor use as well as industrial and automotive coatings. In South Africa, products have been distributed through independent paint stores and home-improvement retailers such as Builders Warehouse, Mica, BUCO, and Leroy Merlin. The business has also pursued a wider African presence. In 2015, Kansai Plascon Nigeria Limited was incorporated as a joint venture. In 2017, the company announced an African expansion strategy, and Farid Masood was appointed chief executive officer. Plascon's competitive environment includes Dulux and Duram. The relationship with Dulux became particularly significant in 2022, when AkzoNobel, Dulux's parent company, proposed acquiring Plascon. South Africa's Competition Commission blocked the transaction in November of that year. The regulator considered that combining two of the country's leading paint manufacturers could make the resulting company too dominant and reduce consumer choice. The decision preserved Plascon as a separate operating business within the Kansai Paint group. Today, Plascon is an active South African-origin paint and coatings brand with an African regional orientation. Its historical strengths are its long-established local identity, broad product coverage, established retail distribution, and connection to Kansai Paint's global coatings business.
- 2022
Proposed AkzoNobel acquisition blocked
[1]The South African Competition Commission blocked AkzoNobel's proposed acquisition of Plascon on competition and consumer-choice grounds.
- 2017
African expansion strategy announced
[1]Plascon announced an expansion strategy for African markets and appointed Farid Masood as chief executive officer.
- 2015
Kansai Plascon Nigeria joint venture incorporated
[1]Kansai Plascon Nigeria Limited was established as a joint venture.
- 2012
Operating company renamed Kansai Plascon Africa
[1]The business changed its corporate name to Kansai Plascon Africa, while continuing to use Plascon as its principal brand.
- 2011
Kansai Paint acquires Plascon
[1]Japanese coatings company Kansai Paint acquired Plascon.
- 2007
Freeworld Coatings becomes the owner
[1]Following Barloworld's unbundling, Freeworld Coatings was formed and owned Plascon.
- 1970
Barloworld acquires Plascon
[1]Barlo Rand, later known as Barloworld, acquired Plascon.
- 1949
Plascon is formed
[1]Herbert Evans & Co. combined with Chrome Chemicals to form Plascon.
- 1915
Parthenon Paints trademarked
[1]The company trademarked Parthenon Paints as an early branded paint line.
- 1889
Herbert Evans establishes a paint business
[1]Herbert Evans founded the business in Johannesburg as Herbert Evans & Co., establishing the origins of the future Plascon brand.
Products and positioning
A long-established South African paint and coatings brand positioned around decorative, industrial, and automotive applications, with regional African reach and the backing of Kansai Paint.
Decorative coatings
Interior decorative paints
Plascon produces paints intended for interior walls and other indoor decorative applications. These products serve household, commercial, and professional users and form part of the brand's core consumer-facing business in South Africa and other African markets.
Decorative coatings
Exterior decorative paints
The exterior range covers paints and coatings for outdoor surfaces and building finishes. It supports residential and commercial construction, maintenance, and refurbishment requirements in the markets served by Plascon.
Industrial coatings
Industrial coatings
Plascon manufactures industrial paint and coating products for professional and industrial applications. The category extends the business beyond household decoration into protective and functional coatings, although the available reference material does not identify individual product formulations or names.
Automotive coatings
Automotive coatings
Automotive paint and coating products are part of Plascon's broader specialist portfolio. They address vehicle-related finishing or refinishing requirements, but the available material does not provide specific product-line names or launch dates.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017African expansion strategy
African markets
Plascon announced a strategic focus on expanding its African presence, building on its South African base and the Kansai Paint ownership platform.
Outcome. The available reference material does not quantify the strategy's subsequent results.
Brand decisions
2022
AkzoNobel acquisition proposal blockedM&ABackground
AkzoNobel, the owner of Dulux and a major competitor to Plascon, proposed acquiring the business. The South African Competition Commission assessed the transaction in the context of concentration in the domestic paint market.
Action taken
In November 2022, the Competition Commission blocked the proposed acquisition.
Aftermath
Plascon remained separate from AkzoNobel and continued as part of the Kansai Paint group. The regulator said the merger could reduce consumer choice by creating an excessively dominant paint supplier.
2011
Kansai Paint acquisition of PlasconM&ABackground
Plascon was an established South African paint manufacturer and brand operating within a wider coatings market.
Action taken
Kansai Paint acquired Plascon and brought the business into its international coatings group.
Aftermath
The operating company was renamed Kansai Plascon Africa in 2012, while the Plascon brand continued in the market.
Recent events
- 2022
South African Competition Commission blocks proposed AkzoNobel acquisition of Plascon[1]
M&A · Regulation
The South African Competition Commission opposed and blocked AkzoNobel's proposed acquisition of Plascon. It said the transaction would combine two of the country's largest paint manufacturers and could create excessive concentration, reduce consumer choice, and weaken competition in the paint sector.
- 2017
Plascon announces African expansion strategy[1]
Other · Leadership change
Plascon announced a strategy focused on expanding its presence across African markets. The announcement followed the appointment of Farid Masood as chief executive officer.
- 2015
Kansai Plascon Nigeria joint venture established[1]
M&A
Kansai Plascon Nigeria Limited was incorporated as a joint venture, supporting Plascon's broader development in African markets.
Sources1 sources
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