Are cane garden chairs suitable for outdoors in South Africa?

Yes, in covered outdoor areas such as stoeps, verandas, pergolas and courtyards. Natural cane should not be left in rain or in sustained direct sun.

How much do LOWE garden chairs cost?

The handwoven Malawi chair is R1,150 and the Curved Rattan Single Seat is R3,500. Delivery across South Africa is quoted per order.

How long do handwoven garden chairs last?

Kept under cover, dusted and out of standing water, a handwoven cane chair lasts many years — and can be rewoven by hand rather than replaced.

Garden chairs: choosing seating that survives a South African summer

10 June 2025 · 5 min read

Sun, wind and the odd late-afternoon downpour — what to look for in garden chairs, and where natural cane earns its place.

Most garden chairs sold in South Africa are chosen for one summer and replaced by the third. Moulded plastic goes brittle in the sun, powder-coated steel chips and rusts at the welds, and cheap synthetic rattan unravels into sharp plastic ends once the UV has done its work.

Natural cane behaves differently. It is a plant, so it responds to its environment — which is a liability in the open and an advantage under cover. Kept shaded and dry, a handwoven cane chair deepens in tone, keeps its tension and can be rewoven by hand rather than thrown away.

Covered garden chairs versus exposed ones

Be honest about where the chair will actually live. If it stands on an open lawn or an unroofed deck through a Highveld storm season, choose a fully weatherproof material and accept the aesthetic compromise.

If it sits on a stoep, veranda, pergola, courtyard or covered balcony — which is where most South African outdoor living happens — handwoven cane and rattan are the warmer, lighter, longer-lived choice.

Garden chairs that are light enough to move

Weight matters more than people expect. Shade moves through the afternoon, and a chair you can carry with one hand gets used far more than one you have to drag.

The Malawi chair is the clearest example: a deep, reclined seat woven in cane that weighs almost nothing, at R1,150. For a more sculptural line, the Curved Rattan Single Seat at R3,500 does the same job with a stronger silhouette.

Cushions, care and the rainy week

Use washable linen or canvas cushions and bring them in when the weather turns; a woven laundry basket on the patio makes that a ten-second job rather than a chore.

Brush the weave along its direction weekly, wipe marks with a barely damp cloth and dry immediately. That is the whole maintenance routine.

Common questions

Are cane garden chairs suitable for outdoors in South Africa?: Yes, in covered outdoor areas such as stoeps, verandas, pergolas and courtyards. Natural cane should not be left in rain or in sustained direct sun.
How much do LOWE garden chairs cost?: The handwoven Malawi chair is R1,150 and the Curved Rattan Single Seat is R3,500. Delivery across South Africa is quoted per order.
How long do handwoven garden chairs last?: Kept under cover, dusted and out of standing water, a handwoven cane chair lasts many years — and can be rewoven by hand rather than replaced.