BEKA (Pty) Ltd started operations in 1978 in Namibia, a country that has one of the most corrosive climates in the world. The first products in manufacture were corrosion-resistant Glass Fibre Reinforced Polyester Poles and Public Lighting luminaires that continue to provide long-term solutions for the hostile coastal and inland environments.
Due to the success of BEKA's products becoming firmly established in neighbouring South Africa, the decision was made in 1981 to move the head office and factory to Olifantsfontein, a strategically positioned industrial town situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In 1989, BEKA became South Africa's first lighting company to be awarded ISO 9000 certification. This commitment to quality became the company's hallmark that enabled BEKA to become Africa's largest lighting manufacturer and market leader in Amenity, Functional, Flood, Industrial, Commercial and Emergency Lighting. BEKA's products are used in many infrastructure developments, such as roads and highways, residential and commercial areas, and town centres through municipal urban regeneration programmes. Furthermore, BEKA has become a market leader in sports and stadium lighting.
BEKA's success can be attributed to the research and development of the luminaire and pole ranges, ensuring the appropriate mechanical and thermal product integrity in the environmental conditions of the African continent. The success of this approach provides a sound product identity that generates growth and expansion into other markets and territories.
BEKA products are found in almost all African countries, the Middle East, South East Asia, Europe and Australia.
In 2002 the Belgian company, Schréder Group GIE, has bought a shareholding in BEKA. Through this association, BEKA has been provided access to leading lighting technologies for which Schréder Group GIE is renowned.
In terms of the South African government's initiative of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), BEKA invited Indonsi Investments (Pty) Ltd to become a shareholder and a member of the Board. Indonsi Investments is owned by South Africa's well-known lighting personality Enock Zikalala, a Past President of the Illumination Engineering Society of South Africa.