Specialist Engineering for
Safety-Critical Industrial Environments
Across Southern Africa
Touch Teq Engineering is a focused industrial engineering firm that delivers fire and gas detection, control and instrumentation, electrical engineering, and hazardous area classification services for high-risk facilities across Southern Africa. We are built on technical depth, professional accountability, and a straightforward commitment to doing the work properly.
A Specialist Engineering Firm, Not a General Contractor
Touch Teq Engineering was established to address a specific problem in the Southern African industrial market. Too many facilities were struggling to find engineering partners who genuinely understood the technical and regulatory demands of high-risk environments. General electrical contractors could pull cables, but they could not design a fire and gas detection layout or carry out a hazardous area classification. Large multinational consultancies could produce engineering documents, but they often lacked the practical site experience to ensure those designs translated into installations that actually worked.
We set out to bridge that gap. Touch Teq is a specialist engineering firm that works exclusively in industrial environments. Refineries, chemical plants, mines, fuel storage facilities, power stations, and processing operations. We do not take on residential projects. We do not do commercial fit-outs. Every project we deliver, every engineer we employ, and every capability we develop is focused on the systems that protect people and keep industrial operations running safely.
Our scope covers three core technical disciplines: fire and gas detection, control and instrumentation, and industrial electrical engineering. Within those disciplines, we provide the full range of services from front-end design and hazardous area classification through to equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance. This means our clients deal with one engineering team that understands the entire lifecycle of the systems they depend on, not a fragmented chain of subcontractors passing responsibility from one to the next.
We are not the largest engineering company in the region, and we have no interest in trying to be. What we are is technically deep, operationally focused, and directly accountable for the quality of every piece of work that carries our name.
The Standards We Hold Ourselves To
We are cautious about listing "core values" because too many companies treat them as wall decorations rather than working commitments. What follows is not a set of aspirational slogans. These are the principles that govern how we operate, how we make engineering decisions, and how we conduct ourselves on our clients' sites.
Technical Rigour Over Shortcuts
We do not take shortcuts in engineering. Every design is checked. Every installation is tested. Every document is reviewed before it leaves our hands. When we sign off on a piece of work, it meets the standard. Not approximately, not close enough, but fully compliant and technically defensible. This is not negotiable, regardless of schedule pressure or budget constraints.
Direct Accountability
Every project we take on is led by a qualified engineer who is personally responsible for the outcome. Our clients always know who is accountable for their work, and they have direct access to that person. We do not hide behind layers of project coordinators or administration. If something needs to be discussed, resolved, or escalated, you speak to the engineer.
Safety as an Engineering Discipline
In our line of work, safety is not a slogan on a poster. It is an engineering discipline. We design systems that are intended to prevent explosions, detect fires, shut down processes, and protect human life. The standard to which we execute that work has real consequences. We treat every project with that understanding, whether it is a full facility design or a single detector replacement.
Honest Communication
We tell our clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. If a timeline is unrealistic, we say so. If an existing installation is non-compliant, we document it clearly and recommend the corrective action. If a scope of work is outside our capability, we are upfront about it. Trust is built on honesty, and we would rather have a difficult conversation early than deliver a compromised result later.
Completeness
We believe a project is not finished until the documentation is complete, the system is tested, the client's team is trained, and every deliverable has been handed over in a form that is useful for operations and maintenance. We do not disappear after the last piece of equipment is energised. We follow through until the job is properly closed out.
Three Core Disciplines Delivered Under One Roof
Our engineering capability is built around three technical disciplines that sit at the heart of industrial safety and operational control. By delivering all three from within a single team, we eliminate the coordination problems and interface gaps that commonly arise when separate firms work on different parts of the same project.
Fire and Gas Detection Systems
We design, install, commission, and maintain fire and gas detection systems for industrial facilities. This includes flammable gas detection, toxic gas monitoring, flame detection, smoke and heat detection, and manual call point systems. Our work covers detection philosophy development, detector selection and placement based on gas dispersion analysis, cause and effect logic development, system integration with plant DCS and ESD platforms, and ongoing maintenance to keep these life-safety systems in reliable operating condition.
- Detection philosophy development
- Detector selection and placement (Gas dispersion analysis)
- Cause and effect logic development
- Plant DCS and ESD platform integration
- Scheduled maintenance and 24/7 support
Control and Instrumentation (C&I)
We provide control and instrumentation engineering services including instrument selection and specification, loop design, wiring and termination engineering, safety instrumented system (SIS) design, control narrative development, marshalling and I/O design, and control system architecture. Our C&I work is closely integrated with our fire and gas detection and electrical capabilities, ensuring that the full instrumentation scope is coordinated from a single engineering baseline.
- Instrument selection and specification
- Loop, wiring and termination engineering
- Safety instrumented system (SIS) design
- Control narrative and logic development
- Marshalling and I/O design
Industrial Electrical Engineering
We deliver electrical engineering services for industrial environments, including power distribution design, single-line diagram development, cable sizing and route engineering, protection coordination studies, fault level calculations, earthing and lightning protection design, hazardous area electrical design, motor control centre specification, and standby power system integration. Our electrical designs account for the specific requirements of classified hazardous areas, ensuring that all equipment, cable entries, and installation methods comply with the zone classification.
- Power distribution and single-line diagrams
- Cable sizing and route engineering
- Protection coordination and fault studies
- Earthing and lightning protection design
- Hazardous area electrical installations
Supporting Capability: Hazardous Area Classification
Underpinning all three disciplines is our hazardous area classification service. We carry out HAC studies that define where explosive atmospheres may exist within a facility, determine the zone classification, and establish the equipment protection requirements for each area. The classification directly informs the equipment selection, the installation methods, and the maintenance procedures for everything we design and install.
Engineering That is Structured,
Practical, and Accountable
Understand Before We Act
We do not start drawing or ordering equipment until we thoroughly understand the client's requirements, the process environment, the hazards involved, and the regulatory framework that applies.
Design With Construction in Mind
Every design we produce is intended to be built. Because our team also delivers installation, we design with a practical understanding of how systems are assembled, terminated, tested, and maintained.
Execute With Discipline
During installation and commissioning, we maintain the same discipline as during design. Workmanship standards are defined and enforced. Testing is carried out systematically against the approved design.
Document Everything
We believe documentation is as important as the physical installation. When we hand over a project, the client receives a complete technical record including as-built drawings and test certificates.
Stay Available After Handover
Our relationship with a client does not end when the project is commissioned. We provide ongoing maintenance and support, and we are available when systems need to be modified or expanded.
Registered, Qualified, and Accountable
Professional registration is not a marketing badge. It is a legal and ethical commitment that underpins the credibility of every engineering deliverable we produce. When a registered professional signs off on a design, a classification, or a commissioning record, they are taking personal responsibility for the technical content and its compliance with the applicable standards.
At Touch Teq Engineering, our work is overseen by professionals registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). This registration is a requirement under the Engineering Profession Act and provides our clients with the assurance that their engineering is being conducted by individuals who meet the qualifications, competence, and ethical standards defined by the profession.
ECSA Registration
Our engineering professionals are registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa as Professional Technologists (Pr Tech Eng) in Electrical Engineering.
Functional Safety Competence
Our team has demonstrated competence in functional safety per IEC 61511 and IEC 61508 for safety instrumented systems.
Hazardous Area Engineering
Specialist knowledge in hazardous area classification per SANS 10108, IEC 60079-10-1, IEC 60079-10-2, IEC 60079-14, and ATEX/IECEx frameworks.
Regulatory Compliance
Our operations comply with the OHS Act, Electrical Installation Regulations, and relevant SANS standards.
Quality Management
Our engineering processes are aligned with quality management principles ensuring consistency, traceability, and continuous improvement.
Health and Safety
We maintain a comprehensive health and safety management system covering all site activities with necessary insurance coverage.
Engineers With Industrial Experience, Not Just Qualifications
The strength of any engineering firm is its people. At Touch Teq, our team is made up of engineers and technicians who have built their careers in industrial environments. They have worked inside refineries during turnarounds. They have commissioned fire and gas systems in chemical plants. They have traced undocumented wiring in processing plants that are decades old. They have carried out hazardous area classifications at fuel depots, mines, and power stations across the region.
This is not a team that learned industrial engineering from a textbook and then started a company. It is a team that has accumulated its knowledge through years of hands-on project delivery in the types of facilities we serve. That practical experience shows up in the quality of our designs, the efficiency of our installations, and the reliability of the systems we hand over.
We invest in our team's ongoing development. Our engineers maintain their professional registrations, stay current with changes to the standards they work to, and continuously build their competence through project exposure and formal training. When a client engages Touch Teq, they are engaging a team that is technically current and operationally capable.
Thabo Matona
Founder & Principal Engineer
Control & Instrumentation | Fire & Gas Detection
Two Decades of Field-Proven Engineering
Thabo Matona founded Touch Teqniques Engineering Services with a clear mandate — to deliver specialist fire and gas detection and control & instrumentation engineering without the layers of subcontracting that compromise accountability and quality.
With over 20 years of hands-on experience across refineries, chemical processing plants, mining operations, fuel storage facilities, and power generation plants, Thabo brings deep practical knowledge to every project he leads. He has personally designed, commissioned, and handed over fire and gas systems in some of Southern Africa's most demanding and safety-critical industrial environments.
Thabo holds professional registrations in line with South African engineering standards and maintains active competency across IEC 61511 functional safety, hazardous area classification, and OEM-approved detection technologies.
At Touch Teq, he is not a director who manages from a distance. He is the engineer on your project.
Headquartered in South Africa,
Working Across the Region
Touch Teq Engineering is headquartered in [City, South Africa], strategically located to serve the major industrial corridors in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. Our project footprint, however, extends well beyond our home base.
We have delivered engineering, installation, and maintenance services at industrial facilities across Southern Africa, including cross-border projects in Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. We manage the logistics, permits, regulatory requirements, and site access protocols involved in working across borders as a standard part of our project delivery. Our regional clients receive the same engineering standard, the same documentation quality, and the same level of direct accountability as our South African clients.
South Africa
Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and North West. Key industrial areas include the Secunda and Sasolburg petrochemical complex, the Durban and Richards Bay refinery and port corridor, the Witwatersrand manufacturing belt, and the Limpopo and Mpumalanga mining and power generation regions.
Mozambique
Gas processing and LNG infrastructure, Maputo and Matola industrial corridor, and mining operations in the central and northern provinces.
Botswana
Mining and minerals processing, including operations in the Selebi-Phikwe, Francistown, and Jwaneng regions, and industrial facilities in the greater Gaborone area.
Namibia
Mining and processing facilities in the Erongo and Otjozondjupa regions, industrial operations in Windhoek and Walvis Bay, and offshore support infrastructure.
Zimbabwe
Refinery operations, mining, and manufacturing in the Harare and Bulawayo industrial areas.
Safety is Not a Department. It is How We Operate.
For a company that designs and installs life-safety systems, the way we conduct our own operations must reflect the same standard we deliver to our clients.
Pre-Task Planning
Every work activity on a client site is preceded by a documented risk assessment and a task-specific method statement. Our teams review the scope, the hazards, the control measures, and the emergency procedures before any work begins. This is not a formality. It is how we prevent incidents.
Permit-to-Work Compliance
We work within our clients' permit-to-work systems and ensure that every team member understands the requirements of the permits under which they are operating. This includes hot work permits, isolation permits, confined space entry permits, and working-at-height permits.
Competence and Training
Every member of our site team holds the necessary safety training and competence certificates for the work they perform. This includes, as applicable, working at heights certification, confined space entry training, first aid, fire fighting, and site-specific induction requirements.
Incident Reporting and Learning
We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to unreported incidents, near-misses, and unsafe conditions. Every event is documented, investigated, and used as a learning opportunity to improve our procedures and prevent recurrence.
PPE and Equipment Standards
Our teams are equipped with the correct personal protective equipment for every site and every task. Tools and test equipment are maintained, calibrated, and inspected regularly. There are no exceptions.
Trusted by Clients Across Southern Africa's Most Demanding Industrial Sectors
We serve clients in industries where safety, compliance, and system reliability are fundamental to operations. Our experience spans the following sectors:
What Sets Us Apart
Exclusive Industrial Focus
We work in one market: high-risk industrial environments. We do not spread our resources across commercial, residential, and industrial projects. That singular focus means our entire team, our entire knowledge base, and our entire operational capability is concentrated on the work that matters to industrial clients.
Engineer-Led Delivery
Every project is led by a qualified, registered engineer who takes personal responsibility for the technical quality and compliance of the work. Our clients always know who is accountable for their work, and they have direct access to that person throughout the project.
Full Lifecycle Capability
We handle the complete project lifecycle from front-end design through to installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance. This eliminates the fragmentation that occurs when different firms are responsible for different phases, and it gives our clients a single point of accountability for the entire scope.
Practical, Constructible Engineering
Our designs are informed by real field experience. Because we also install and commission the systems we design, we understand the practical constraints of construction and maintenance. Our engineering produces systems that can be built efficiently, tested systematically, and maintained safely throughout their service life.
Complete and Auditable Documentation
We treat documentation as a core deliverable, not an administrative afterthought. Every project we hand over includes a complete technical record that is structured to support operations, maintenance, compliance audits, and future modifications.
Proven Regional Capability
We have a demonstrated track record of delivering projects across Southern Africa, including cross-border work in Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. We manage the logistics, regulatory requirements, and site access protocols involved in regional project delivery as a routine part of our operations.
Long-Term Client Relationships
Many of our clients have worked with us across multiple projects over several years. We earn repeat business by delivering consistently, communicating honestly, and being available when our clients need support, whether that is during a planned project or an unplanned emergency.
YOUR ENGINEER IS ONE CALL AWAY.
Not a sales rep. Not a call centre. The engineer who will run your project picks up the phone. Start the conversation today.
CONTACT THABO DIRECTLYCommon Questions About
Touch Teq Engineering
Partner With An Engineering
Team You Can Trust
From conceptual design and hazardous area classification to installation and ongoing maintenance, our team delivers industrial engineering with technical rigour and direct accountability.