A padlock is the simplest lock there is: a body, a shackle and a key or combination. In South Africa padlocks secure garage doors, gates, sheds, farm stores, containers, pump houses and the chain on a trailer, and the right one depends on how hard it may be attacked, how much weather it faces and how many people need keys. This page covers the types of padlock, sizes, hasps and what padlocks cost. Send one free, no-obligation request and local suppliers quote you directly.
Types of padlock
- Brass padlock: rust-free body, the everyday choice. Fine for sheds and inside gates.
- Laminated steel: stacked steel plates, tough but prone to rust at the coast unless well finished.
- Discus padlock: a round body with only a sliver of shackle showing, hard to cut. Popular on containers and roller doors.
- Closed shackle: raised shoulders guard the shackle against bolt cutters.
- Long shackle: reaches through thick gate bars and chains.
- Combination padlock: no key to lose, good for staff lockers and shared gates.
Choosing the size and grade
Padlocks are sized by body width. A 40 mm padlock suits a cupboard or a light gate, a 50 mm body is the common all-rounder, and 60 to 70 mm suits a garage door, a container or a farm gate. Check the shackle diameter against the hole in your hasp or chain: a thick shackle is stronger, but must fit. A hardened steel shackle resists cutting much better than plain steel. Choose a padlock that is weatherproof if it hangs outside, with a covered keyway at the coast where salt air seizes plated locks. If you carry many keys, ask for padlocks keyed alike, or keyed into a master key system for a business.
Hasp and staple, and common mistakes
A padlock is only as strong as what it hangs on. A padlock hasp and staple should be at least as tough as the lock, bolted through the door or welded on, with the fixings hidden when it is closed. Common mistakes:
- A strong padlock on a thin hasp held with short screws.
- A long shackle left with room for a bar to lever it.
- Oiling a padlock on the Highveld or in the Karoo, where dust sticks; use dry graphite.
- Losing count of who has keys; cut copies from the original only.
For gates, see gate locks.
Padlock prices and what to ask
Hardware stores list brass, laminated and discus padlocks of 40 to 70 mm from about R60 to R440 each. Closed shackle and high-security padlocks are usually quoted on request. Ask a supplier for the body width, the shackle diameter and material, how many keys come with each padlock, whether a batch can be keyed alike and whether a matching hasp is available.
What to include in your request
- Say how many padlocks you need
- Say what each one will secure
- Measure the hasp or chain hole
- Say if they should be keyed alike
- Ask about a matching hasp and staple
Padlocks for different clients
- Homeowners: padlocks for the garage door, garden shed, side gate and a trailer hitch
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: keyed alike padlocks on meter boxes, refuse rooms and service gates
- Offices, shops and practices: discus padlocks on roller shutters, back gates and storage containers
- Landlords and letting agents: padlocks on outside stores and gates, swapped or rekeyed between tenants
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: keyed alike padlocks on containers, cages, valves and yard gates
- Farms and smallholdings: weatherproof padlocks on camp gates, feed stores, pump houses and diesel tanks
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: master keyed padlocks on sports stores, lockers and maintenance gates
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: contractors buying batches of padlocks for site containers and tool boxes
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of a padlock?
Which padlock is best for a garage door?
What size padlock do I need?
Are combination padlocks safe?
Padlocks by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg