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Electric gates

There are electric gates on both sides of the main entrance of the building. These gates are opened via remote, pedestrian button, or call-to-open; they close automatically after a few seconds.

Pedestrian button

The button is on the inside staircase wall, next to Unit 3 (the ground-floor unit closest to the gate, next to the garbage room lock box) that can be pressed to open the gate for those leaving without a remote.

Remotes

Please note that the loss of remotes carry a security risk for others in the building. Sometimes people lose their remotes (say, on the street or a nearby park) and the opportunist who picks it up goes around the neigbhourhood to see which gates it opens, giving them easy unauthorised access. We will periodically reprogram all remotes, making the old ones in circulation void. Consider writing your phone number on your remote/keychain with a permanent marker, in case a friendly neighbour picks it up.

You can replace the batteries in your remote yourself (Premier Locksmith in Gardens is a good provider, Takealot and Builders Warehouse also stock them). If it has stopped working altogether, or you’ve lost yours, reach out to the trustees.

Call-to-open

We are testing a device, installed into the main gate, that allows you to open it, by calling a number from your phone (the gate's number, if you will). It only opens when "pre-authorised" numbers calls the gate, meaning if someone else tried to open it by calling the number, it won't work.

We've already authorised a few numbers into the system, testing it out, but would like to roll it out to everyone now. If any owners, residents, or their regular visitors (say your domestic worker, partner, etc.) would like to be saved, please send Werner a direct message with the following, and he’ll program those in:

Flat number

Name & surname (of person making the request)

Name & surname (of the person that needs access)

Telephone number

Description (owner, tenant, staff, partner)

For now we are still testing the system to see if it works (and if it is useful to others too). This reduces the security risk of handing out too many blue remotes (the system can also be programmed to only allow access during certain hours: say 7am to 7pm, meaning staff won’t be able to open it after hours, but I haven’t tested that functionality yet). You could also try things like “Hey Siri/OK Google, call Bagamoya gate” if you use that side for parking.

The gate’s new number is: 0663139713 (Update: Feb 2025)

Note that the call has to be a "normal" call (using the cell phone network), not a WhatsApp or other type of call. But it doesn’t cost anything, the gate recognises the number calling it as pre-authorised (or not) and will hang up the call and open up (or not). This also means you will be able to open the gate when you aren’t at the complex and you need to let in a family member or delivery person.

We’re still not sure how it will work "in the wild" (load shedding and even rain often reduces cell phone signal strength; general reliability; etc.), but we'd appreciate some feedback from those interested in using it (and patience if it isn’t always working as advertised).

Wear and tear and damage

As the gates are opened and closed a lot, there is a fair amount of wear and tear on the rails and motors. If it isn’t working as it should, please let us know via the Owners & Tenants WhatsApp group to investigate.

Additionally (and especially for the main entrance) there is a gap between the sensor and the gate —which means that if you don’t enter/leave fast enough and your vehicle blocks the gate but not the sensor— and the gate has closed on vehicles in the past. Others, especially contractors and visitors who aren’t used to the peculiarities and the narrow entrance, have also damaged the motor by riding into the gate. Note that unit owners are liable for any damage and subsequent repair costs.

After closing on a vehicle (or otherwise getting interrupted), the system will go into error mode and the electric motor should freeze (this is to prevent damage to the motor, but also to prevent, say, a person from being crushed). We can open up the motor housing to disengage it (meaning it will just roll like a normal sliding gate that isn’t locked) and reset the system by closing it all the way, opening it all the way again and reengaging the system.

The trustees have keys to the motor housing to do this, and will handle the communication with the electrician handling maintenance and repairs if the system reset wasn’t successful.

Always-open mode

On occasion, our caretaker Farrington, contractors, or movers may need to constantly enter and leave the building, and will temporarily obstruct the sensor with a piece of packing tape or Prestik.

Please ensure that the gates aren’t left open all day like this and only do it if you or your workers are currently in the process of entering and leaving, as this poses a security risk for the rest of the building. We have had instances of unauthorised access like this in the past.

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