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South Africa’s landscape holds a colour palette shaped over billions of years. Iron-rich soils shift through deep ochres and amber; weathered dolerite takes on blue-grey tones; coastal rock and fynbos bring softer greens, greys and mineral shades. These colours were part of the landscape long before anyone thought to name them, and colours that Plascon is seeing resonate with homeowners looking for exteriors that feel natural and grounded. In an era increasingly shaped by digital experiences, there is a growing pull toward materials, colours and spaces that feel anchored in the physical world. The New Earth, Plascon’s latest Colour Story, brings eight new shades to its Micatex exterior range, translating that appetite through a distinctly South African palette drawn directly from the landscape.
Found, not forecast
‘The New Earth is about recognising the colours people are already drawn to and looking at those preferences through a distinctly South African lens. Rather than trying to predict what might come next, we wanted to create a palette that feels relevant to the way people are living and choosing colour now, while still having the longevity to sit comfortably within our landscape for years to come,’ says Leslie Frank, Head of Marketing, Plascon South Africa, adding, ‘We’re living through a period where people are actively seeking out things that feel real and unmediated. Colour is one of the simplest ways to bring that quality into a home.’
The eight colours span a broad tonal range. Grey Current (BBO 624) and Granite Crest (BBO 620) anchor the palette in cool, mineral stone. Thunderstone (BBO 618) deepens into the blue-black tones of ancient dolerite, while Ocean Sage (BBO 625) draws from the grey-green hues of coastal vegetation. Weathered Ridge (BBO 621) and Stoneveld (BBO 622) move into warmer, oxidised ochres, while Fossil Clay (BBO 619) recalls the pressed sediment of old riverbeds. Coastal Haze (BBO 623) completes the palette with a pale, weathered tone reminiscent of shoreline rock.
Three ways to work with The New Earth
Plascon has developed three composition schemes to help homeowners, designers, specifiers and developers bring the palette together in different ways. Moving between warm and cool, subtle and dramatic, the schemes show how The New Earth can respond to a home’s architecture, landscape and context.
Warm Mineral layers Fossil Clay, Weathered Ridge and Stoneveld are ideal for homes that read as rooted; suited to bushveld, Karoo and inland suburban settings where the earth tones already dominate the neighbourhood palette. Cool Stone pairs Grey Current, Granite Crest and Thunderstone for buildings that want a cleaner, more architectural register suited to contemporary homes in coastal or urban environments where the contrast with greenery or sea does the visual work. Landscape Green introduces Ocean Sage alongside the warm and cool anchors, allowing the exterior to connect with surrounding vegetation rather than assert itself against it. For architects and specifiers, choosing colours that sit within their environment rather than compete with it is increasingly a deliberate brief.
Made for the South African exterior
The New Earth is formulated in Plascon Micatex, the brand’s premium exterior paint developed specifically for local conditions. Micatex carries Weather Tough Protection™, creating a film twice as thick as standard exterior paint and 23% stronger than comparable competitor products. It is designed for the four substrates that make up most South African exterior walls, including plaster, concrete, brickwork and fibre-cement surfaces. Every colour in the range comes with a 15-year guarantee.
Make The New Earth your colour story
For homeowners, specifiers and developers looking to work with the collection, Plascon’s advisory service is available on 0860 20 40 60 or at [advice@plascon.co.za](mailto:advice@plascon.co.za).
The New Earth Colour Story, including the three composition schemes and individual colour references, is available at plasconcolour.co.za.