Canvas and Tent group
Canvas and Tent Group is a South African manufacturer of canvas and PVC fabric tents and modular structures, serving luxury hospitality, military, mining, and disaster relief customers globally with turnkey camp solutions and proprietary manufacturing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersGauteng, South Africa
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Canvas and Tent group does
Canvas and Tent Group (legal entity Canvas and Tent Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd) is a South African, founder-owned manufacturer of canvas and PVC fabric tents and modular structures, founded in 1968 and headquartered in Pretoria, Gauteng. The group operates a 28,000 m² production facility in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal with 300+ skilled design, technical and specialist personnel and approximately 500 total South African employees, supported by an in-house steel plant, dedicated laboratory, mechanical Rain Tester, and its proprietary Eton System manufacturing process with real-time data collection. It commercializes more than 1,000 tent designs across luxury safari, military, mining, disaster relief and outdoor recreation categories, distributed through wholly-owned sub-brands Bushtec Safari, Bushtec Creations, Bushtec Originals, Bushtec Adventure, MEERKAT (formerly Tents Direct), RCSSA, Cube Modular, HERCon and MECC, and through regional entities in the USA, Europe, Namibia and Botswana.
Revenue is generated across multiple streams: bespoke luxury tent sales (multi-year contracts), standardized stock luxury tents priced at $25,000–$30,000 per unit with monthly payment options around $700, turnkey camp projects (design, manufacturing, installation, maintenance) for mining, military and hospitality clients, retail camping gear sales, and increasingly recurring-economy revenue via the Wyld revenue-share program and Bushtec Finance financing services. Three enterprise segments are primary—luxury hospitality and tourism (with named customers including Nkomazi Private Game Reserve, Jack's Camp, Old Drift Lodge, Open Sky Glamping in Utah, and Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi), military and defence (notably SANDF under Operations Corona and Swatch, plus a 150-man camp delivered to Zambia Military via Paramount Group), and mining (Madagascar, Botswana and Angola). Disclosed contract values include R35 million for SANDF Weatherhaven tented accommodation and a R64 million, 25-month SANDF turnkey redeployable mess facility, alongside 270+ tents supplied across 19 SANDF bases and 65 PVC structures across three African markets in 2022. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, regional offices in Atlanta, Windhoek, Gaborone and Brussels, physical showrooms (Pine Mountain RV Resort in Georgia, Maun/Kasane in Botswana), brand websites for Bushtec Safari, Bushtec Creations, Bushtec Adventure and MEERKAT, and third-party distributors across the UAE, Australia and Asia.
Certifications—ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001, BEE Level 3, Level 5 Systems Integrator, and ECA Accredited Contractor—support eligibility for South African public-sector and defence tenders, while the 2023 American Glamping Association partnership targets US permitting influence. Founder Louw Bekker was succeeded by Hans Hillebrand as Group CEO on 1 February 2023, signaling a strategic pivot toward asset-light recurring revenue (Wyld), financing (Bushtec Finance), standardized product SKUs, and US-market expansion.
Canvas and Tent group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Canvas and Tent group
- Legal name
- Canvas and Tent Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://canvasandtent.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Canvas and Tent Group is a South African manufacturer of canvas and PVC fabric tents and modular structures, serving luxury hospitality, military, mining, and disaster relief customers globally with turnkey camp solutions and proprietary manufacturing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Canvas and Tent group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialized Fabric Structures and Tent Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Textile Bag and Canvas Mills (314910), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133), Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing (336214)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Safari Camps & Tented Lodges (THAGAOAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adventure Base Camps (Trek/Climb/Expedition Camps) (THAGAOAG), Eco/Nature-Based Campgrounds (Sustainable/Off-Grid) (THAMAJAK)
Keywords
Where Canvas and Tent group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gauteng
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices8 records
Markets served
Canvas and Tent group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Luxury Tent Sales: Sale of custom and standard luxury canvas tents for hospitality, glamping, and safari applications. Tents range from bespoke custom designs to stock models.
- Turnkey Solutions: Full turnkey camp development including design, project management, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Covers luxury tented resorts, military base camps, and mining accommodation.
- Camping Gear Retail: Sale of camping equipment and outdoor gear through retail stores and showrooms, including tents, chairs, and accessories.
- PVC Fabric Structures: Supply of modular PVC fabric accommodation solutions for mining operations, including workforce housing, kitchens, dining, medical facilities, and ablution units.
- Financing Services: Through Bushtec Finance division, offering financing options for customers purchasing luxury tents for glamping operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom Luxury Tents - Bespoke Design |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Stock Luxury Tents - Standard Models |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | PVC Fabric Structures - Mining Accommodation |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wyld Revenue Share Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Canvas and Tent group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Canvas and Tent Group is a South African manufacturer that designs, builds, and installs canvas and PVC tents and modular structures. Its core offerings include bespoke luxury safari and glamping tents (Bushtec Safari), full turnkey tented resort design and build (Bushtec Creations), redeployable camp systems for military and mining clients (Bushtec Originals, Weatherhaven RCS, HERCon), prefabricated modular buildings (Cube Modular), and outdoor adventure products (Bushtec Adventure, MEERKAT). The group runs a 28,000 m² vertically integrated factory in Ladysmith using the proprietary Eton System manufacturing process.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bushtec Safari: Bespoke luxury tent brand synonymous with outstanding quality, luxury, innovative design and expertise. Supplier to award-winning glamping and safari camps, hunting lodges, luxury villas, and resorts.
- Bushtec Adventure
- Bushtec Creations
- MEERKAT
- Bushtec Originals
- Cube Modular
- HERCon
Products and services
- Bushtec Safari Luxury Tents (Custom) Bespoke canvas luxury tents designed and manufactured for safari camps, glamping resorts, hunting lodges, and luxury villas, with full customisation for climate, capacity, and finish; supplied turnkey including decks, electrical, and sewage. Target buyers are luxury resort and safari camp developers in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
- Bushtec Creations Turnkey Tented Resort Design Full turnkey design, conceptualisation, build, and maintenance service for luxury tented resorts and lodges worldwide, covering architecture, project management, manufacturing, installation, and interiors. Sold to hospitality developers seeking award-winning destination accommodation.
- Bushtec Originals Turnkey Redeployable Camps Full turnkey redeployable camp solutions for military and mining operations outside South Africa, including soft-walled PVC shelters, accommodation, kitchens, ablution, and medical facilities. Sold to defence forces and mining operators in remote African and global markets.
- HERCon Hard-Walled Structures Hard-walled, in-house manufactured steel structures designed for military, mining, and remote-camp applications, offering a more rigid alternative to canvas and PVC tents. Sold to defence and resource-extraction clients needing permanent-feeling infrastructure in remote locations.
- PVC Fabric Structures for Mining Accommodation Modular PVC fabric accommodation solutions for mining operations including workforce housing, kitchens, dining, medical facilities, and ablution units, designed for rapid deployment and semi-permanent remote-site use. Sold to mining operators in Madagascar, Botswana, Angola, and other African sites.
- Bushtec Safari Off-the-Shelf Luxury Tents Standardised, quicker-delivery luxury safari and glamping tents priced at $25,000–$30,000 per unit, with monthly payment options of around $700, enabling glamping resort owners to receive tents faster than fully custom builds. Sold to B2B glamping resort operators and serious individual buyers.
- Cube Modular Prefabricated Buildings Prefabricated and modular building systems used to solve remote camp infrastructure needs across Sub-Saharan Africa, providing rapid-build, relocatable structures for mining and similar applications. Sold to mining and resource operators, and to humanitarian and development clients.
- Bushtec Adventure Camping & Outdoor Products Adventure tents and equipment for leisure travel and outdoor enthusiasts — rugged, efficient products engineered in Africa for global outdoor use, including bow tents, stretchers, and related gear. Sold to outdoor retailers and consumers.
- MEERKAT Outdoor Retail Gear (formerly Tents Direct) Retail camping and outdoor gear brand (formerly Tents Direct) selling camping tents, chairs, accessories, and outdoor equipment through physical stores (Centurion and others) and online. Sold to individual consumers and small outdoor retailers in South Africa.
- Kalahari Kanvas Retail Camping Stores Retail stores in Maun and Kasane (Botswana, the latter opened late 2017) selling camping gear, outdoor equipment, and luxury tents to consumers and small businesses across Botswana.
- Wyld Glamping Revenue Share Program Revenue-share programme for park owners in which Bushtec Safari places tents on-site, handles bookings via an app, and shares a percentage of revenue with the property owner, providing an alternative to outright tent purchase. Sold to glamping resort owners seeking a managed deployment model.
- Bushtec Finance In-house financing division offering finance options to customers purchasing luxury tents for glamping operations, supporting buyers who cannot pay the full tent price upfront. Sold to glamping resort owners acquiring Bushtec Safari tents.
Quantifiable outcome
- Functional accommodation built in 4 hours for up to 8 people in dormitory style
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Canvas and Tent group
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Canvas and Tent group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Canvas and Tent group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Pine Mountain RV ResortminorPartnership with Pine Mountain RV Resort in Georgia, USA as a showroom location where business owners can see Bushtec Safari tents in person. Resort doubles as showroom with plans to build dedicated showroom facility.
- American Glamping AssociationcoreStrategic partnership with Ruben Martinez, executive director of American Glamping Association, to lobby for regulatory changes and influence permitting standards for glamping industry in the USA.
- VodacomminorVodacom sponsored IT equipment for an IT classroom at Elethu Themba Combined School in Eikenhof, supported by Canvas and Tent's HERCon unit donation as part of CSI initiatives.
- Various Resort DeveloperscoreBushtec Safari has partnerships with multiple resort developers across USA including Open Sky Glamping (Zion, Utah), Spoon Glamping (Wimberly, Texas), The Destination (Alabama), Congaree and Penn Farm (Florida), Wahwhataysee Resort (Texas), Camp Aramoni (Illinois), and others.
- Denel/MechemcorePartnership through memorandum of understanding enabling Weatherhaven RCS to supply full turnkey camps including camp management. Provides one-stop service capability for remote client needs through combination of Denel's defence expertise and Canvas and Tent's camping solutions.
- Paramount GroupcoreDelivered 150-man turnkey integrated redeployable military camp to Zambia Military as part of complete package offer from Paramount Group. Weatherhaven RCS provided the camp consisting of soft-walled PVC shelters with full turnkey capabilities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Canvas and Tent group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Canvas and Tent group social profiles
Digital presenceCanvas and Tent group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Canvas and Tent group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Canvas and Tent group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
Canvas and Tent group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Canvas and Tent group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Canvas and Tent group
What does Canvas and Tent group do?
Canvas and Tent Group is a South African manufacturer that designs, builds, and installs canvas and PVC tents and modular structures. Its core offerings include bespoke luxury safari and glamping tents (Bushtec Safari), full turnkey tented resort design and build (Bushtec Creations), redeployable camp systems for military and mining clients (Bushtec Originals, Weatherhaven RCS, HERCon), prefabricated modular buildings (Cube Modular), and outdoor adventure products (Bushtec Adventure, MEERKAT). The group runs a 28,000 m² vertically integrated factory in Ladysmith using the proprietary Eton System manufacturing process.
Is Canvas and Tent group a public or private company?
Canvas and Tent group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Canvas and Tent group founded?
Canvas and Tent group was founded in 1968. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Canvas and Tent group based?
Canvas and Tent group is headquartered in Gauteng, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Canvas and Tent group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Luxury Tent Sales are the primary driver. The others are turnkey Solutions, camping Gear Retail, PVC Fabric Structures and financing Services.
Does Canvas and Tent group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Canvas and Tent group.
What industry is Canvas and Tent group in?
Canvas and Tent group's product category is Specialized Fabric Structures and Tent Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGAOAF, Safari Camps & Tented Lodges, with a secondary code of THAGAOAG, Adventure Base Camps (Trek/Climb/Expedition Camps). Its NAICS code is 314910 and its SIC code is 7000.