Unica Plastics Gears Up Patio, Poolside and Café Seating for Summer

Pretoria, October 2026. With spring well under way and the long South African summer only weeks off, Unica Plastics is turning attention to the places where people sit outside: patios, garden lawns, pool decks, café pavements and the outdoor areas of restaurants, guesthouses and lodges. The Pretoria West manufacturer, which has been producing injection moulded plastic products since 1998, is highlighting a group of chairs and stools from its range that are built to stand up to sun, rain and constant use through the busiest outdoor season of the year.

October is when many households start moving furniture back outside, and when hospitality businesses prepare for a run of sunny weekends, school holidays and year-end gatherings. Seating that has spent winter stacked in a storeroom gets checked, counted and, in many cases, replaced. Unica Plastics is using this moment to remind buyers that strong, practical outdoor seating is made right here in Gauteng.

Seating that suits the South African outdoors

Outdoor furniture in South Africa has to cope with strong sunlight, sudden summer thunderstorms and plenty of handling. A plastic chair that is light enough to move around, easy to wipe clean and simple to stack away after a storm has obvious appeal for both homes and businesses. Unica Plastics designs its products with this kind of everyday use in mind, and several items in its catalogue are suited to the season ahead.

The Lawn Chair is the most obvious example. Unica describes it as a chair for gardens, patios and the pool side, with a roomy seat and hand rests for comfort. The perforated back rest comes in two patterns and does more than look good: the openings let air circulate to help keep the person sitting in it cool on hot summer days. The seat has drainage holes so that rain water runs off rather than collecting, which matters in a region where afternoon storms are a regular feature of summer. The Lawn Chair carries a load bearing capacity of 150 kg and stacks up to 20 high for storage. It is made in a senior size, available in two back rest patterns, and a junior size for children, with a choice of colours and special colours made on order.

A heavier option for cafés and busy venues

For restaurants, coffee shops and canteens that need something sturdier, the Rocky Chair is built for heavier daily use. Unica describes it as a heavy duty chair suited to anything from a formal setting to a trendy cafeteria, with a curved, soft design that blends in with its surroundings. Its ergonomic seat and back rest support the lumbar spine and offer a pressure relieving seating surface, and a reinforcing rib structure gives the chair the strength to be used on slick surfaces. The Rocky Chair has a load bearing capacity of 200 kg, a handle on the back rest for easy carrying, and stacks up to 20 high. Standard colours are black, maroon, dark green and dark blue, with special colours made on order. Venue owners comparing plastic chairs for sale ahead of summer trading will find the full specifications on the product page.

The Revo Stool adds another option for outdoor bars, braai areas and kitchens. Unica designed it to solve a specific problem with plastic stools: legs that break under twisting forces. The Revo Stool has an independently rotational top that relieves torsional strain on the legs, which Unica notes is a common cause of breakage in many plastic stools. It is lightweight, has a reinforcing rib structure, stacks up to 20 high and has a load bearing capacity of 130 kg. It is suitable for both domestic and commercial use.

Events, catering and garden functions

Summer is also a season of outdoor celebrations, from garden parties and family get-togethers to end-of-year functions. The Unica Party Chair has been part of South African gatherings for decades. It was one of the first products Unica developed in 1998, at a time when, as the company puts it, many South African consumers would not consider furniture made from anything other than steel or wood. The chair went on to become a familiar sight across South Africa and the wider Southern African region. It is made in senior and junior sizes, has a reinforcing rib structure and stacks up to 20 high for storage and transport.

The Best Chair is aimed squarely at the events and catering industry. It is light, which makes it easy to store and transport, and has a contoured seat to reduce pressure on the hips and upper legs during long periods of sitting. Non-slip pads under the rear legs add grip on slippery surfaces, and its small footprint helps planners fit more seating into a venue. It has a load bearing capacity of 150 kg and comes in three patterns.

For weddings and more formal outdoor events, Unica manufactures the Tiffany Chair locally. The company describes it as a local version of a design that has become popular around the world, widely used at weddings and events. Its steel frame is finished with a powder coated paint to prevent rust, a useful feature for seating that may be used outdoors. It stacks up to 10 high and has a load bearing capacity of 200 kg. Colour options include gold, silver, white, red and black. Event companies and venues looking for Tiffany chairs for the coming function season can view the details online.

Made in Pretoria West since 1998

Unica Plastic Moulders was established in 1998 as the first manufacturing company in what became the Unica Group, and it remains the group's central base for research and development. The factory in Edison Road, Pretoria West Industrial, has a monthly manufacturing capacity of 400 tons. Unica states that strict quality assurance and quality control measures are followed at all times so that only top quality products reach its retailers' floors.

Alongside its seating, Unica produces stadium seating, plastic desks, the Desk in a Box all-purpose desk, fold-up tables, a 240 litre wheelie bin and homeware such as laundry baskets, basins and buckets. Brands the company has developed and introduced into local and cross border markets include the Party Chair, Desk in a Box and Genie, The Better Bed.

A greener approach to plastic furniture

Unica's mission is sustainability through innovation, and the company says it is constantly looking for ways to improve its products and become more sustainable financially, environmentally and socially. According to the company, it uses close to 4000 tons of recycled polymer a year. Unica states that this saves 26 000 cubic yards of landfill space and conserves about 25 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power 2000 average households for a year. For buyers who want outdoor furniture that is durable and locally made, that recycling commitment adds another reason to look closer to home.

Why buying local matters this season

Choosing locally manufactured furniture keeps production, skills and jobs inside South Africa and shortens the distance between the factory and the buyer. For hospitality businesses that need to replace a few dozen chairs before December, or for families adding seating for a summer of braais and swims, a nearby manufacturer with stock in standard colours and the option of special colours on order can make planning simpler. Every chair in the outdoor group described here stacks for storage, so seating can be packed away quickly when a storm rolls in and brought back out when the sun returns.

Homeowners, café and restaurant owners, caterers, schools and event planners can browse the full product range, compare specifications and contact the sales team at https://plastics.unica.co.za/.

About Unica Plastics

Unica Plastics, trading as Unica Plastic Moulders, is a division of the Unica Group and has manufactured injection moulded plastic products in Pretoria West, Gauteng, since 1998 for local and cross border markets. Its range includes stackable plastic chairs for events, functions and schools, stadium seating, plastic desks and fold-up tables, a 240 litre wheelie bin and homeware such as laundry baskets, basins and buckets. The company developed brands including the Party Chair, Desk in a Box and Genie, The Better Bed, and its factory has a monthly manufacturing capacity of 400 tons.

Media Contact
Unica Plastics
Email: info@unica.co.za
Phone: +27 12 386 0838
Website: https://plastics.unica.co.za/