Lanyard Assembly Service in South Africa: Mix, Match, and Build Any Lanyard You Want (Clips, Accessories, and Ready-to-Use Packs)

Events are stressful times as it is. Being prepared for your attendees and looking professional are the best ways to ensure they have a memorable experience.  Assembly is the difference between a calm event check-in and a last-minute panic with 400 cards and 400 lanyards still in separate boxes. The quality of the clips, lanyards, and cards is very important. People can reuse these accessories or remember an event just by looking at them. 

In this blog, we want to focus on building your ideal lanyard setup with ease before an event. We explain how you can mix and match lanyard types, clips, and add-ons, and how our Lanyard Assembly Service turns those parts into a ready-to-use solution for staff, students, conferences, and events.

If you also want broader ideas around branding and networking with name badges, this post pairs well with our earlier blog “Why Lanyard Name Badges Are More Than Just ID’s”. let's get into it.

Why lanyard assembly matters more than people expect

A lanyard setup is usually made of multiple pieces:

• The customised lanyard strap itself.

• The clip or attachment.

• Optional add-ons (breakaway, buckle, slider, reel).

• The cardholder or pouch.

• The printed name badge or customised card.

When these arrive as separate components, someone on your side has to:

1. Match the right clip to the right lanyard.

2. Attach add-ons correctly.

3. Insert each card into its pouch.

4. Clip the pouch to the lanyard.

5. Sort packs for distribution.

That is fine for 10 people.

It becomes a problem at 200, 500, or 2,000 units.

That is why we offer a service where you choose any combination you like, and we assemble it exactly as you need, so it arrives ready to hand out.

The big idea: you can create any lanyard you want (mix and match)

Our assembly service is built around one simple concept: mix and match.

You can choose:

1. Lanyard types: plain, printed, woven, safety break, adjustable, and more

2. Clips and attachments: swivel clip, crocodile clip, lobster hook, snap hook, cellphone clip, and more

3. Add-ons: breakaway clips, release buckles, badge sliders, and more

Then we assemble your chosen combination, so you get a ready-to-use lanyard setup.

Now let’s make the options easy to understand.

Step 1: Choose your lanyard type (the strap)

Your strap choice affects comfort, branding space, and how “premium” the final badge feels.

Plain Flat lanyards

Best for:

• Schools.

• Staff IDs.

• Quick turnaround orders.

• Practical day-to-day use.

Why customers like them:

• Cost-effective.

• Simple, neat look.

• Easy to match with different clip styles.

• Used for colour coding, so it's easy to identify which grade you are in for example or which team you are in in an office space. 

Custom printed lanyards

Best for:

• Events and conferences.

• Brand visibility.

• Corporate teams.

• Retail staff.

• Sponsor branding.

Why they work:

• Your logo is visible all day. Great for your brand and a free marketing advertisement. 

• They help people identify staff quickly.

• They look intentional and professional in photos.

Cord lanyards

Best for:

• Long-term daily use.

• Premium look and feel.

• Brands that want texture and durability.

Why customers choose cord:

• Branding feels “built in”, not just printed on.

• Often chosen by corporates and established brands.

Safety breakaway lanyards

Best for:

• Factories and warehouses.

• Schools.

• Healthcare.

• Any environment where the strap could snag.

What it means:

• There is a safety connector that releases under pressure, so the lanyard does not pull dangerously. The breakaway clip is designed to detach upon force, protecting users from potentially dangerous situations. 
• Perfect for corporates, companies using heavy machinery, schools and more. These lanyards ensure employees can escape sticky situations quickly and efficiently.

Adjustable lanyards

Best for:

• Mixed teams (different heights).

• People who want the badge to sit higher or lower.

• Staff who alternate between sitting and standing tasks.

• Staff who use heavy machinery. Or Children playing on playgrounds where lanyards could get snagged during lunch break. Hospitals where doctors are working with patients and machinery. And many more.

Step 2: Choose your clip or attachment 

The clip is the part that gets pulled, twisted, dropped, yanked, and clipped 30 times a day. This is the part that needs to be robust and be able to hold your cards in place at all times.

A good clip:

• Holds securely.

• Sits flat.

• Works with your cardholder style.

• Matches your environment (office vs factory vs outdoor event). If it is being used on a mine, it is robust and heavy-duty. 

Here are the common clip types customers choose, all listed as mix-and-match options on our assembly service page.

Swivel clip

Best for:

• Cardholders that flip or twist easily.

• Portrait cardholders that tend to rotate.

• Staff who move around a lot.

Why it helps:

• Allows rotation so the cards sit more naturally.

• Reduces twisting on the strap.

Crocodile clip

Best for:

• Attaching to fabric, pockets, or certain holder types.

• Situations where you want a firm “bite” on your card or cardholder.

Note:

• Crocodile clips are strong and provides a strong grip for your ID cards, cardholders, or attachments. The spring-loaded jaw allows for quick attachment and removal, while the sturdy teeth ensure your items stay put throughout your busy day.

Lobster hook

Best for:

• Secure everyday use.

• Conference badges.

• Staff IDs.

Why  is it popular:

• Easy to clip on and off.

• Reliable hold.

• A familiar feel for most users. Our lobster hook clip provides a practical and professional way to display and access your ID Cards and cardholders. 

Snap hook

Best for:

• Heavier holders or thicker cardholder setups.

• When you want a sturdy clip that feels strong.

Why customers choose it:

• Very “secure” feel.

• Works well with thicker attachments. Our 20mm Snap Hook Clip offers a secure and convenient way to attach ID cards, cardholders, or attachments to your flat lanyard. 

Cellphone clip

Best for:

• Teams that carry keys, USBs, whistles, or small tools. It is a very versatile lanyard. 

• School use.

• People who want a multi-purpose lanyard. This sleek attachment is perfect for anyone looking to keep their essentials secure and accessible. Made from high-quality materials, this clip ensures your items stay safe and close at hand, no matter where your day takes you.

Step 3: Add accessories that make the lanyard work better (and feel better)

Add-ons are the difference between a basic lanyard and a lanyard that people actually like using.

The assembly service includes options like:

• Breakaway clips

• Release buckles

• Badge sliders 

• Badge reels

Here is what each does in plain language.

Breakaway clip (safety release)

Best for:

• Safety-focused workplaces.

• Schools.

• Warehouses.

• Healthcare environments.

What it does:

• Releases under pressure to reduce risk if the lanyard gets caught

Release buckle (quick-release)

Best for:

• Staff who scan, tap, or show a badge frequently.

• People who do not want to pull the lanyard over their head.

• Security staff, reception teams, and warehouse workers.

What it does:

• Lets the bottom portion detach quickly.

• Makes it easy to present a card to a reader without removing the whole lanyard.

Badge slider

Best for:

• Keeps the badge facing forward.

• Improving the “neatness” of the badge on the chest.

• Events where presentation matters. You are able to personalise this with your logo and enhance the look and appeal of your company. 

What it does:

• Helps control the cardholder position so it does not spin or hang awkwardly.

Badge reels (retractable reels)

Many teams love reels because they reduce wear and tear on the strap and make scanning easier.

Best for:

• Access-controlled offices.

• Staff who scan multiple times a day.

• Hospitals.

• Warehouses.

• Security teams.

What it does:

• Badge pulls forward when needed to gain access to facilities. 

• Retracts back neatly.

• Reduces “lanyard tugging”.

Step 4: Choose your card holder or pouch (protect the badge and control orientation)

A lot of customer frustration comes from cardholders that do not match the use case.

Portrait vs landscape holders

Portrait works best for:

• Most staff cards.

• Most name badges.

• Clean, vertical presentation.

Landscape works best for:

• Conferences (often wider layouts).

• Name badges with large fonts.

• Situations where you want job titles or company names to be wide and easy to read.

Soft pouches

Best for:

• Cost-effective event use.

• Short-term badges.

• Situations where you want lightweight packs.

• Pouches that keep your cards safe, visible, and damage-free.

Rigid cardholders

Best for:

• Staff who use the badge every day.

• Schools where badges get dropped.

• Environments where durability matters. Including mines, farms, or workman areas. 

Protective cardholders

Best for:

• Outdoor events, mining areas, workman areas and warehouses.

• Dusty environments.

• Situations where badges get wet or dirty.

Step 5: Decide how you want the final pack to arrive (this is where assembly saves you hours)

This is the key difference between “buying lanyards” and “receiving a ready-to-use badge system”.

Standard assembly for teams (offices, schools, staff)

You choose:

• Cards you need.

• Clip type

• Lanyard type.

• Cardholder type

We assemble them exactly as specified, so you can distribute them immediately. 

Full assembly for conferences and events (event accreditation packs)

For events, we can do the full badge build, including:

• Inserting your PVC cards into lanyard pouches

• Clipping the pouches onto the lanyards.

• Delivering fully assembled badges, packed and ready to distribute.

This is the “you open the box and start handing them out” option.

It is also the option that removes the most stress on event day, because you are not trying to assemble 500 badges at 6 am while people are queuing.

How the Card Monster Lanyard Assembly Service works

Here is the simplest explanation of the service:

1. You choose your parts using a mix-and-match approach.

2. We assemble them exactly as you need.

3. You receive a ready-to-use solution.

We can handle a wide range of quantities, from smaller runs to large-volume orders. The service page highlights capacity from 100 to 10,000 units, depending on your needs.

If you want to see what assembly looks like in real life, we also have a behind-the-scenes video that shows our team assembling lanyards.

Popular “builds” customers' orders in South Africa (easy templates you can copy)

Below are common combinations we see across industries. These are not rules. They are starting points you can customise.

1) Corporate office staff lanyards

Goal: professional, neat, durable.

Common choices:

• Custom printed lanyard with company branding.

• Swivel clip or lobster hook.

• Rigid holder (portrait).

• Optional quick-release buckle for frequent scanning.

Why it works:

• Branding is visible.

• The cardholder sits neatly.

• Scanning is easier for staff.

2) Conference and event name badge packs

Goal: fast check-in, smooth distribution, consistent look.

Common choices:

• Printed lanyards (often with event name or sponsor).

• Cardholder to suit badge design (portrait or landscape).

• Full assembly, so every package arrives pre-packed and ready.

Add-ons people love for events:

• Badge sliders for a tidy front-facing look.

• Safety breakaway for venues that require it.

3) Schools and campuses

Goal: secure holder, comfortable strap, practical daily use.

Common choices:

• Plain lanyard or printed school branding.

• Breakaway safety clip.

• Durable holder (portrait).

• Optional reel for staff cards.

Why it works:

• Safer for learners.

• Cardholder lasts longer.

• School branding stays visible.

4) Warehouses and manufacturing

Goal: strong clip, quick access, safer design.

Common choices:

• Safety breakaway strap.

• Quick-release buckle for scanning.

• Strong clip type (snap hook or lobster hook).

• Durable cardholder.

Why it works:

• Scanning is easier.

• Less snag risk.

• Fewer broken clips over time.

5) Hospitality, hotels, and venues

Goal: staff look professional and easy to identify.

Common choices:

• Printed lanyards in brand colours

• Any cardholder.

• Clip choice based on role (reception vs floor staff).

Designing a lanyard that people actually like wearing

A lanyard is a wearable item. Comfort and usability matter.

Keep branding readable

Common mistake: tiny logos repeated too small.

Better approach:

• Use a logo size that is readable from a normal distance so that you are able to read it and recognise the logo for marketing. 

• Use a strong contrast between the logo and the background by using colours.

• Repeat the logo with enough spacing so it does not feel cluttered.

Decide what matters most: brand or function

Some teams want maximum branding.
Some teams want the lanyard to disappear and the card and cardholder to be the focus.

Both are fine. The important part is consistency.

Make name badges readable

Your cards are where identification happens.

Simple tips:

• Use big first names.

• Keep job titles smaller.

• Keep the company name visible but not dominating.

• Leave space around QR codes if you use them.

For more ideas on mixing branding and real-world usability, your existing blog post covers the broader “beyond ID” reasons name badges matter, including networking and professionalism.

FAQ's

Can I choose any clip type with any lanyard?

Yes. The whole point of the mix-and-match approach is that you can choose from multiple lanyard types, clip types, and add-ons, and we assemble it exactly as you need.

Do you assemble the cards into the pouches and attach them to the lanyards?

Yes, for conferences and events, we offer full assembly, including inserting cards into pouches, clipping them to lanyards, and delivering assembled badges ready for delegates.

What is the best clip for name badges?

For many customers, swivel clips are popular because they reduce twisting. Lobster hooks and snap hooks are popular when customers want a strong, secure attachment. The best clip depends on your holder and how active your team is.

What is a breakaway lanyard, and do I need it?

A breakaway is a safety feature that releases under pressure. It is a good idea for schools, warehouses, healthcare environments, and anywhere a lanyard could snag.

Can I mix different clip types in the same order?

Often yes, especially for events where staff lanyards might need a different attachment from delegate lanyards. The easiest approach is to group your order by “lanyard build type”.

How many can you assemble?

The Lanyard Assembly Service page highlights flexible volumes and capacity from 100 to 10,000 units, depending on your needs.

Where can I see how the assembly looks?

We have a behind-the-scenes YouTube video showing the assembly process.

The easiest way to get the perfect lanyard is to build it like a system

A good lanyard setup is not one product. It is a small system:

• lanyard+ clip + add-ons + cardholder + card

When those parts are chosen properly and assembled upfront, your team looks more professional, your event check-in runs smoother, and you do not waste time on last-minute admin.

If you want a lanyard setup that is truly “yours”, choose your strap, choose your clip, choose your accessories, and let us assemble it so it arrives ready to use.

Contact us today for your unique assembly.