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.

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.

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.

Heavy Duty Safari Director's Chair

The Heavy Duty Safari Director’s Chair – The Swivel Back brings a new level of comfort and flexibility to one of our most trusted designs. It shares the same sturdy frame and proportions as our original Heavy Duty Director’s Chair but features a reimagined backrest that swivels slightly to adjust with your movement. This small but important change creates a more relaxed sitting experience, especially during long evenings around the campfire or extended hours on the veranda.

The deeper backrest cover offers additional lumbar support, giving the chair a solid and comfortable feel. This design improvement makes it particularly well suited to safari lodges, outdoor dining areas, and private homes where comfort is as important as durability.

Each chair is individually handcrafted from Zambezi teak, an African hardwood renowned for its strength, natural beauty, and ability to withstand the elements. The timber is carefully selected, seasoned, and finished by hand to highlight its warm grain and deep tones. Solid brass fittings are used throughout to reinforce joints and prevent corrosion, ensuring the chair will last for many years even in demanding outdoor conditions.

The seat and backrest are made from quilted safari-grade canvas with optional leather trim. The fabric is chosen for its comfort, breathability, and resistance to wear, while the quilted stitching adds a refined aesthetic that suits both luxury lodges and elegant residential spaces.

Despite its strength, the Swivel Back folds easily for transport or storage, staying true to its campaign furniture heritage. It’s a dependable, beautifully built piece designed for life outdoors yet equally at home indoors. Every detail reflects The African Touch’s commitment to craftsmanship, quality materials, and practical design that enhances how you live and relax.

Care and Maintenance
To keep your chair looking its best, simply wipe down the timber frame with a damp cloth and re-oil periodically using our recommended teak oil. The canvas or leather components can be brushed clean and treated with a suitable fabric or leather conditioner to preserve their texture and color. With regular care, your Heavy Duty Safari Director’s Chair – The Swivel Back will continue to age beautifully and serve you for decades.

Seat сovers	Auto Canvas – Quilted Grey, Auto Canvas – Quilted Sand, Canvas Quilted Karoo Khaki, Quilted antique Leather, Ripstop Quilted Safari Green, Ripstop Quilted Sand, Safari Harness Leather – Dark Brown

Oiled product.

Your oiled Safari Chair receives two applications of The African Touch Furniture Oil prior to delivery. Our outlets carry stock, should you require it. We recommend you re-apply when the finish looks faded or dry. The recommended application procedure is as follows:

Wipe surface down with a clean cotton cloth lightly moistened with mineral turpentine. (Ensure that all surfaces are completely dry and clean before proceeding with the next step)
Use a clean cotton cloth or soft bristled brush dipped in the oil and apply in light, short strokes, ensuring thorough and even distribution of the oil.
Leave the oil on the furniture for at least 1 to 2 hours (but not more than 24 hours), to allow absorption into the wood.
Use a clean cotton cloth and wipe off all excess liquid to leave a natural smooth finish.
Allow to dry for approximately 24 hours.

If a wet glass or similar is left on the surface it may leave a watermark. In this case please wipe the water off as soon as possible, and if necessary apply some more Satinwood 28 base. If the mark is still slightly visible you can rub with a little baking soda mixed with an equal part of water, wipe off with a damp cloth and re-apply the oil.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Heavy Duty Safari Director’s Chair – The Swivel Back”

When you make your enquiry we will discuss delivery options with you.

Camps and lodges:

For camps and lodges in Southern Africa we can quote on delivery
with our transport or you may arrange collection.
For East Africa and beyond it is often more convenient for us to
quote containerised freight for large orders and air freight to nearest
airport for smaller orders.

International Orders:

Certain knock down products can be delivered by courier direct to you.
Slightly cheaper is to organise air freight to your nearest airport.
For large orders we can quote containerised delivery by sea.

Smaller orders in Southern Africa:

We will quote for delivery by courier or our transport depending on your location.

Payment.

For orders to Africa, Europe, Australia, and North America we provide a
Certificate of Origin so that duty is not payable in your country of destination.

Orders supplied from stock we request payment in full when the order is placed.
For products made to order we request a 50% deposit on order
with the balance paid on completion.

We cannot offer a warrantee on chairs except for defects in material and workmanship that affect the integrity of the chair under normal use and weight limits. The reason for this is that chairs can be subject to huge stresses (such as when a heavy person rocks back on the back legs) that are impossible to compensate for in the construction of the chair without compromising on the design appeal.

We build with timber harvested from natural forests. The charm of this material is that no two pieces are exactly the same in colour, character or grain, and they will contain natural imperfections such as knots, stress cracks and so on that enhance their authenticity and attractiveness. As a result no 2 pieces will ever be identical and products may have natural imperfections. However, these will never be allowed to compromise the quality of construction of your piece.

The African Touch will not in any circumstances be liable for any claim which falls outside the scope of our warranty or for any consequential damages whatsoever.

We offer 10% discount for orders of 20 or more chairs, and to Professional designers and decorators. The discount will reflect in your quote.

Heavy Duty Safari Director’s Chair – The Swivel Back

Request a quote

Additional Add-ons:

Reviews

Smaller orders in Southern Africa:

You might also like...

Safari Tripod Stool

Compact Safari Folding Chair – The Mara

Safari Folding Stool

Safari Camp Director’s Chair

Stay Connected

Products

Navigation