Thanks to the drought, there has been a bit of a product shortage in the Cape.

At one point, it was 25 litre containers, and at another it was processed meats.

Okay, okay, the last was not a result of the drought, but it sure did add to the mayhem of the past year.

Rather, the latest product that has experienced a shortage is artificial grass. Companies in Cape Town were unable to keep up with the demand earlier this year, as homeowners were prompted to invest in the awful fake ground cover in an effort to “combat sandy backyards and dust-filled playgrounds,” reports Business Insider SA:

Nate Cassiem, owner of Artificial Grass in Goodwood says they ran out of stock in February and spent the whole month waiting for suppliers who import the material from China. He says they have tripled their turn-over in the past year. He says they could have increased their business even more if they had not run out of stock. “We could not keep up with orders.”

Wilna Mouton of Cape Grass says she ran out of stock in January. Her company also saw a jump in demand for all types of artificial grass.

“People want it, but they get a shock when they find out how much it costs. Normally they wait a while and think about it and then come back to us.”

Although the idea of a lovely, evergreen backyard might seem appealing, in the long run it can turn into a nightmare.

Made from petrochemical products like nylon or polypropylene, artificial grass costs between R150- and R450 a square metre, depending on the quality: a higher cost is associated with better durability and a longer lifespan.

But it needs to be installed properly to “secure proper water run-off”, and also needs access to water to be cleaned properly – which kind of defeats the purpose, unless you’re going to sacrifice a portion of your daily limit of 50 litres.

Horrifying.

Still keen? Then try one of these three companies:

Easigrass™ – 021 988 4515

Cape Grass – 083 250 0901

Ecograss – 011 791 5359

[source:businessinsider]