What types of businesses does The African Touch supply furniture to?

The African Touch supplies bespoke and standard hardwood furniture to safari camps, game lodges, boutique hotels, private residences, and hospitality venues across Africa and internationally. We work closely with interior designers, decorators, architects, lodge owners, and camp operators.

Can The African Touch create custom furniture for a lodge fitout?

Yes. We specialise in bespoke furniture fitouts tailored to each project. We work within your design brief to produce custom pieces in Zambezi teak, mahogany, and other African hardwoods, combined with leather and brass detailing.

What hardwoods does The African Touch use?

Our primary materials are Zambezi teak (Rhodesian teak) and African mahogany — both prized for their durability, grain beauty, and suitability for the African climate.

Does The African Touch ship internationally?

Yes, we ship worldwide. Pricing is available in both USD and South African Rand depending on your project location.

How long has The African Touch been making safari furniture?

The African Touch was founded by Richard Lowe and has been crafting handmade African hardwood furniture for over 28 years, supplying lodges, camps, and homes across Africa and globally.

How do I place an order or request a custom furniture quote from The African Touch?

To place an order or enquire about a custom furniture project, visit theafricantouch.co.za and use the Request a Quote function, or contact us directly via our Contact page. For trade and hospitality partners, register through our Trade Partners page to receive our full catalogue and pricing in your preferred currency. We recommend including as much detail as possible about your project — including dimensions, timber preferences, quantity, and any design references — so we can provide an accurate quote.

What information do I need to provide to commission a custom furniture piece or lodge fitout?

To get started on a bespoke furniture commission, it helps to share your project brief, preferred hardwood (such as Zambezi teak or African mahogany), desired dimensions, finish and upholstery preferences, quantity required, and your delivery location. If you are outfitting a lodge or camp, details about the space, aesthetic direction, and any architectural drawings or mood boards are also useful. Our team works closely with you throughout the design process to ensure the final pieces are exactly right for your project.

What is the lead time for custom or made-to-order furniture from The African Touch?

Lead times vary depending on the complexity and scale of your order. Standard in-stock pieces are available for dispatch more quickly, while bespoke and made-to-order items — particularly large lodge fitouts or custom-designed pieces — typically require a longer production lead time. We recommend contacting us as early in your project timeline as possible so we can confirm availability, schedule production, and allow adequate time for international shipping if required.

Can The African Touch match existing furniture or replicate a specific design for a fitout project?

Yes. We regularly work with interior designers and lodge owners who need new pieces to complement or replace existing furniture. Provided a design falls within our brand scope and can be executed in our hardwood materials and construction methods, we are happy to work from photographs, drawings, or detailed briefs to produce pieces that align with your existing aesthetic. Get in touch with our team to discuss your specific requirements.

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Crafting Custom Safari Furniture for Mana Sands

Q: What is campaign furniture?

Campaign furniture is a style of portable, foldable furniture originally designed for 18th-century British military officers on expedition. The African Touch reimagines this classic style through an African lens, crafting pieces from solid hardwood, leather, and brass for use in safari lodges, camps, and homes.

September 2, 2025

On the banks of the Zambezi River, deep within Zimbabwe’s famed Mana Pools National Park, a new safari camp has emerged that blends wilderness immersion with understated elegance. Mana Sands is not just another camp; it is a thoughtfully designed retreat where every detail contributes to the guest experience.

At The African Touch, we were entrusted with the task of crafting bespoke safari furniture to bring Mana Sands’ vision to life. From early design sketches to the delivery of wardrobes, vanities, beds, and field bars, this project showcased the very essence of what we do: concept to completion craftsmanship.

This post takes you behind the scenes of the Mana Sands project, exploring how we designed and built custom campaign furniture and lodge style furniture that reflects both timeless safari tradition and modern comfort.

Our Collaborative Process

Every successful safari camp begins with a vision. For Mana Sands, the goal was clear: to create a space that felt rooted in the untamed beauty of Mana Pools, while offering guests a luxurious, restful retreat.

Our role began at the concept stage. Working closely with the designers from Elite Zim, we translated their ideas into detailed sketches and technical drawings. We explored layout options for wardrobes, tested proportions for bathroom vanities, and refined designs for campaign field bars and tray tables.

By the time production began, every element had been thoughtfully considered:

Design sketches evolved into SketchUp drawings and prototypes.
Material selections balanced durability with beauty.
Craft techniques ensured the furniture would withstand the challenges of remote lodge life.

Crafting Safari Furniture by Hand

Our workshop in Victoria Falls is where raw hardwood is transformed into pieces that will travel across Africa and beyond. For Mana Sands, we used our tried-and-true process:

Hardwood Selection
We favour hardwoods such as Zambezi Teak and Mahogany, prized for their strength, density, and striking natural grain. These woods are perfectly suited to safari environments where durability is key, yet they also offer the timeless beauty that defines fine African safari furniture. However, for the Mana Sands project, we stepped out of our comfort zone. We utilized a unique Eucalyptus species called Cloeziana, sourced from a sustainable plantation in the eastern part of the country. This wood is extremely dense, making it very strong. Its lighter colouring lends well to staining, which we did for this project.
Joinery & Structure
We use traditional woodworking techniques, mortise and tenon, dovetailing, and hand-finishing, to ensure each piece has structural integrity that will last decades.

Function Meets Safari Tradition

Wardrobes & Vanities

Custom-designed to fit seamlessly into guest tents, the wardrobes offer generous storage while maintaining an airy, open-frame look. The bathroom vanities, designed with X-frames and open shelving, combine lodge practicality with a refined safari aesthetic.

Beds & Desks

Built with durability in mind, our hardwood beds and writing desks provide both comfort and structure. They serve as anchors within the guest suites, balancing rustic authenticity with understated elegance.

Field Bars

Safari isn’t safari without sundowners. Our handcrafted field bars combine tradition and luxury, offering a portable, elegant solution for serving drinks in the wild. At Mana Sands, they elevate the experience of riverside evenings beneath the African sky.

Why Campaign Furniture for Safari Camps?

Campaign furniture was first developed for British military officers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its hallmarks were portability, strength, and elegance, qualities still essential in modern safari camps and lodges.

At The African Touch, we specialise in campaign furniture because it:

Withstands rugged conditions while retaining elegance.
Embodies safari heritage, connecting today’s guests with the golden age of exploration.

Mana Sands embraced this tradition fully, choosing pieces that complement their camp’s atmosphere of adventure and sophistication.

A Project to Remember

From the first sketches to the final placement at Mana Sands, this project is a true reflection of our ethos: concept to completion. It represents the heart of our work which is designing and crafting furniture that enhances the safari experience.

For us, it was an honour to contribute to Mana Sands’ story, helping to shape a camp that is already being celebrated as one of the Zambezi’s most exciting new destinations.

FAQs

1. What is campaign furniture, and why is it used in safari lodges?
Campaign furniture originated with military officers who required portable yet elegant furnishings. Today, its durability, foldability, and timeless aesthetic make it ideal for safari camps and lodges.

2. What hardwoods do you use in your safari furniture?
We primarily work with Zambezi Teak, Mahogany, and Cloeziana. These hardwoods are sustainably sourced and chosen for their strength, resilience, and natural beauty.

3. Can you create fully custom furniture for lodges?
Yes. As seen in the Mana Sands project, we work from concept to completion, starting with sketches and drawings, developing prototypes, and delivering finished pieces tailored to each lodge’s unique needs.

4. Why is African safari furniture different from regular furniture?
Safari furniture is designed to withstand remote, rugged environments. It balances practicality with elegance, often incorporating foldable or modular designs that reflect the heritage of traditional campaign furniture.

5. Do you only work with safari lodges, or do you also make furniture for private homes?
While safari lodges are a key focus, we also design and produce bespoke campaign-style furniture for private homeowners worldwide who want to bring the safari aesthetic into their homes.

Conclusion

The Mana Sands project highlights everything we value at The African Touch: craftsmanship, collaboration, and the enduring romance of safari living. Through bespoke lodge style furniture rooted in the tradition of campaign furniture, we created pieces that will welcome guests to Mana Pools for years to come.

Explore our collection of handcrafted safari furniture: www.theafricantouch.co.za