Update on COVID-19: Reopenings in Africa and US
The first wave of quarantine restrictions was lifted in several African countries beginning May 1st, including our primary manufacturing and shipping hub of South Africa. So far, the openings are limited, and public gatherings and hospitality businesses are still on pause, however production of our beautiful pieces is back underway! Many are still nervous about the potential spread as reopenings begin, just as we are here in the US, but Africa continues to fare quite well in terms of the spread and severity of covid-19 cases, and we continue to send hopeful and positive thoughts that this remains the case.
Shipping in South Africa has also loosened, having moved from a Level 5 lockdown of only allowing the most essential goods to be exported to a Level 4, which allows a next tier of manufactured goods to be released. Businesses must apply for a certificate demonstrating whether their goods meet the requirements, and we are delighted to report that all our supplier partners in South Africa have applied and received this certification. We have three shipments that have been held during lockdown, and they are all now released! Due to bottlenecks, scheduling is still a bit chaotic and causing some delay, but our sea container should depart by the end of next week and we hope to see air freight backlogs ease soon as well. Assuming reopenings go as planned, by July we are confident the logistics bottlenecks will have been resolved and shipping lead times will be back to normal.
Finally, we are excited to announce that in alignment with Governor Abbott’s proclamations regarding the reopening of retail shops and other businesses, we can offer public showroom hours again.
From Monday, May 11th, our Showroom will be open Monday-Friday from 12 pm - 5:30 pm, or anytime by appointment.
We will have sanitizer and masks available at the door and will be practicing social distancing in accordance with the CDC. With plenty of space and strict sanitizing procedures in place, we know we can safely welcome you back to visit. We have missed everyone!
If you would like to make an appointment, you can BOOK ONLINE