Centurion
The name you will see most in Gauteng estates. The D5 Evo and the SDO smart range are the workhorses, and parts are available everywhere. Our default recommendation for most homes.
- D5 Evo, SDO4/SDO5
- Smart app control
Garage door motors — repaired, replaced, properly sized
Gearboxes strip, capacitors fail and control boards get cooked by Highveld lightning. We repair what is worth repairing, replace what is not, and tell you plainly which of the two you are looking at.
Centurion · ET Systems · Digi
Same-day motor callouts
Battery backup fitted
Same-day calloutsAcross Gauteng, 7 days a week
Fixed price before we startWritten quote on site, nothing added later
12-month workmanship guaranteeOn every door, motor and repair
Fully stocked vehiclesSprings, cables and motors on board
Motor faults
What actually fails in a garage door motor
Before anything else, one diagnostic that costs nothing: pull the manual release cord and lift the door by hand. If it is heavy, or it will not stay where you leave it, your problem is not the motor — it is the springs, and no new motor will fix it. Half the "dead motors" we are called to are perfectly healthy motors being asked to lift an unsprung door.
Where the motor genuinely has failed, it is usually one of four things. A stripped gear — the motor hums, the door does not move. A failed capacitor — the motor struggles, hums, or runs one direction only. A burnt control board — nothing at all, or erratic behaviour, very often after a lightning storm. Or the limit and force settings have drifted, so the door opens halfway, or reverses for no reason.
Boards and capacitors are usually worth repairing. A stripped gearbox on a fifteen-year-old unit generally is not — and we will say so rather than sell you a rebuild that lasts eight months.
- Stripped gears and worn gearboxes
- Failed capacitors and windings
- Lightning-damaged control boards
- Limit and force settings that have drifted
- Dead receivers, unpaired remotes, faulty keypads
- Backup batteries that have reached end of life
Motors we work on
The brands with real support in South Africa
There is no romance in an imported motor you cannot buy a control board for in two years. We fit what can actually be serviced here.
ET Systems
Solid, well-priced South African hardware with proper local backing. A sensible choice on a straightforward single or double sectional door.
- Good value
- Widely supported
Digi
Long-standing local brand, common on older installations across the East Rand. We repair plenty of them and still fit them where they suit the door.
- Repairs and spares
- New units fitted
Chamberlain and imports
We service what is out there. Where a board or gear is no longer available, we will tell you honestly that a replacement is the cheaper road.
- Serviced where possible
- Honest end-of-life advice
Battery backup units
Every motor we fit can take one, and every motor we fit should have one. Three to five years of life, then it becomes the reason your door "stopped working".
- Load shedding cover
- Replaced on service
Roller door tube motors
Motors that live inside the drum of a roller door. Different animal, same principles — sized to the weight of the curtain, not to the size of the opening.
- Residential and industrial
- Side-mount alternatives
Repair or replace
How we decide, and how you should
Nobody enjoys being told to spend R6 500. So here is the reasoning we use, out loud, before we recommend anything.
Repair a board or capacitorOn a motor under about eight years old, this is usually good value.
Replace a stripped gearboxOn an older unit, a rebuild often costs more than half of a new motor.
Never fit a new motor to a bad doorFix the springs and balance first, or you will be back here.
Check the door by hand firstIf it is heavy to lift, the motor was never the problem.
Beware the cheap importTwo years from now the board will not be available. That is not a saving.
Match the motor to the cyclesA busy family door needs more motor than a retired couple's does.
Indicative pricing
What a garage door motor costs in 2026
Supplied and fitted in Gauteng, on a door that is already sound and balanced.
| Item | Indicative range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New motor, single door | R4 500 – R7 500 | Includes 2 remotes |
| New motor, double door | R5 500 – R9 500 | Heavier duty |
| Motor repair — capacitor | R850 – R1 600 | Same-day, usually |
| Motor repair — control board | R1 200 – R2 800 | Common after lightning |
| Motor repair — gearbox | R1 500 – R3 200 | Often not worth it on old units |
| Backup battery replacement | R900 – R2 200 | 3–5 year life |
| Extra remote (rolling code) | R350 – R750 | Programmed on site |
Indicative ranges for planning, not a quote. If the door itself needs work first, that is quoted separately. See the 2026 price guide.
FAQ
Garage door motor questions
Brands, lightning, load shedding and when to give up on a motor.
Still not sure?
Send us a photo of your garage door on WhatsApp. We can usually tell you what has failed before we load the van.
WhatsApp a photoMy garage door motor hums but the door does not move. What is it?
Two likely culprits. Either the motor's gears have stripped — common on older units, and you will often hear the motor running happily while nothing happens — or a spring has broken and the motor is straining against a door that now weighs 100kg. Pull the manual release and lift the door by hand. If it is heavy, it is the springs. If it lifts easily, it is the motor.
Which garage door motor is best in South Africa?
For most Gauteng homes, a Centurion unit is the safe recommendation — it is well supported, spares are everywhere, and the smart models are genuinely good. ET Systems is excellent value on a straightforward door. What matters more than the badge is that the motor is sized to your door's weight and duty cycle.
Can lightning damage my garage door motor?
Frequently, and the Highveld storm season is unkind. A nearby strike can take out the control board without leaving a mark on anything else in the house. Boards are usually replaceable, and a surge-protected plug is a very cheap piece of insurance.
How long does a garage door motor last?
Ten to fifteen years on a well-balanced door that is serviced. Considerably less on a door that is out of balance, because the motor is then doing work the springs should be doing. The single best thing you can do for a motor is to look after the door it is attached to.
How do I open my garage door during load shedding?
If the motor has a charged backup battery, exactly as you always do. If it does not, pull the manual release cord — it is the red cord hanging from the trolley — and lift the door by hand. We show every customer where that cord is and how to re-engage it afterwards.
Can you repair my motor or must I replace it?
It depends entirely on what has failed and how old the unit is. Capacitors and boards are usually worth repairing. A stripped gearbox on a fifteen-year-old motor usually is not, and we will tell you that rather than take the easier invoice.
Where we work
Garage door technicians across Gauteng
We run vehicles out of Johannesburg, Pretoria and the East Rand, which means most of Gauteng is a short drive rather than a full day's travel. Pick your area for local turnaround times and pricing.
Book a technician
Before you replace the motor, let us check the springs.
Half the dead motors we are called out to are healthy motors on unbalanced doors. Ten minutes of diagnosis is free.
Centurion · ET Systems · Digi · Same-day callouts across Gauteng
Keep reading
Related services
Contact
Speak to a garage door technician, not a call centre
- Phone
- 0860 017 435Answered by a person. Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00, Sat 08:00–14:00.
- Send us a messageA photo of the door or the motor usually tells us what has failed.
- info@clearpathgaragedoors.co.zaPlans, specifications and estate quotes welcome.
- Service area & hours
- Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion, the East Rand, the West Rand and the VaalMon–Fri 07:00–18:00 · Sat 08:00–14:00 · Emergency callouts 7 days a week