Willem de Wet
Managing Director · Designer Pool Covers
NSPI Accredited Specialist · 14+ Years Experience
About Willem
Willem de Wet founded Designer Pool Covers in 2012 and has spent over 14 years helping South African families make their pools safer, warmer and cheaper to run. Under his leadership the company has completed more than 4,500 installations nationwide — from entry-level thermal blankets to premium hydraulic automatic cover systems.
As an NSPI-accredited specialist, Willem is deeply familiar with the SANS 10134:2016 safety standard and the practical realities of installing compliant, long-lasting pool covers across South Africa’s varied climates — from the coastal humidity of Durban and Cape Town to the hail and high-UV conditions of the Highveld.
He personally guides the technical standards behind every product the company recommends, and reviews the expert guides published on this site to ensure they stay accurate and genuinely useful for pool owners.
At a glance
- Managing Director
Designer Pool Covers (since 2012) - NSPI Accredited
National Swimming Pool Institute member - 14+ Years
4,500+ installations nationwide - [email protected]
Credentials & experience
Verify our accreditation and standards on our Trust & Credentials page.
Articles by Willem de Wet
Expert guides written and reviewed by Willem for South African pool owners.
Automated Pool Covers: Ultimate Guide
Expert guide to automated pool cover technology — safety, energy efficiency and choosing the right system.
PoolDeck Slatted Pool Covers: Complete Guide
Everything about PoolDeck slatted covers — PVC vs Polycarbonate, installation types and colour options.
PoolLock Hydraulic Vinyl Covers Explained
250 kg/m² load capacity, sub-60-second deployment. The deepest dive on PoolLock hydraulic technology.
Automatic Pool Covers in Johannesburg
Hail resistance, UV at altitude and suburb-specific recommendations for the Highveld.
GeoBubble Thermal Blankets Compared
Sol+Guard vs Standard vs EnergyGuard — pricing, lifespan and region-specific recommendations.
Retrofit Automatic Pool Cover Guide
Can you add an automatic cover to an existing pool? Surface-mount tracks, costs and timelines.
Automatic Pool Cover Service Schedule
Month-by-month maintenance tasks to keep your automatic cover performing for 15+ years.
Pool Covers & Load Shedding 2026
How automatic covers handle Eskom load shedding — battery backups, fail-safes and manual overrides.
Slatted vs Vinyl Pool Covers
Head-to-head comparison of PoolDeck slatted and PoolLock vinyl automatic covers.
SANS 10134 Compliance Checklist (2026)
Complete compliance checklist — safety barriers, pool covers as compliant barriers, and municipal by-laws.
Pool Cover ROI: How Much Can You Save?
Water evaporation, heat retention, chemical reduction — detailed cost analysis for SA pool owners.