If you’re reading this page, you’re likely evaluating Tekla Structures — and wondering who to trust with your investment. You’re in the right place…

Cadex SA doesn’t just sell Tekla — we enable our clients to succeed with it.

We provide hands-on training, expert support, and a powerful localized environment developed over decades. Our Cadex SA South African Environment, an integral part of the Tekla Structures experience, is trusted across the region. It’s packed with tools, settings, and libraries tailored to real-world steel and concrete projects in Southern Africa.

Cadex SA developed our environment, we own it, and is our intellectual property. When you license Tekla through Cadex SA, you gain the right to use this environment — confidently and legally.

But there’s more to us than tools and great software, our story…

Cadex SA was born from a passion for engineering and a vision for the future of structural design. That journey began at Wits University, where John Swallow and John Duncan first met, and encountered computing on IBM mainframes — a formative experience that sparked John Swallow’s lifelong interest in automation, structural analysis, and the delivery of complex projects.

After completing postgraduate studies in structural engineering — and later, an MBA — John began developing his own software for 2D and 3D structural analysis. He soon moved to integrate that software with CAD, aiming for fully automated design and detailing workflows. John Duncan developed his skills in steel fabrication and steel design working in industry – for a fabricator, a consulting engineering office and for the SA Institute of Steel Construction.  

A chance encounter at a lecture in South Africa on interoperability in the steel industry led to a connection with Tapio Ristimäki of Cadex Oy (Finland), creators of SteelCAD, and the charismatic André Cornière of SMRT (France). John Swallow, together with John Duncan, trained in Albi, France, and launched Cadex SA to introduce SteelCAD to Southern Africa.

André had a lasting influence on both Cadex SA and its founders — his energy, insight, and unwavering support played a pivotal role in shaping the early success of Cadex SA. John Swallow often likens him to the character Asterix from the iconic French comic series — small in stature, quick-witted, fearless, and seemingly always on the magic potion. It’s a fitting comparison for someone whose passion for steel and people has made a global impact.

When Cadex Oy was acquired by Tekla Oy, the relationship evolved — and so did the technology. Cadex SA became one of the earliest Tekla resellers globally, receiving initial hands-on training from Tekla’s legendary experts, including Jukka Suomi. We saw Tekla’s potential long before BIM became an industry buzzword — and we’ve been championing it in our region ever since.

Today, with over 25 years as a Tekla Structures value-added partner, Cadex SA continues to lead the way in:-

• Providing Tekla Structures and related licenses
• Delivering proven onboarding, training, and support
• Developing add-ons, tools, and workflows to accelerate real projects
• Maintaining and evolving the Cadex SA South African Environment
• Serving a growing community of confident Tekla users across Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa