I have had the same throw cushions on my couch for like a gazillion years. I know most people think throw cushions are pointless, but on my couches they are handy head resters, plate holders and throw at Player 2 when he annoys me during a movie projectiles. They are used every day and at the beginning of the year I decided it was time for a change and started shopping for pillow covers for the lounge. I have had my eye on Zana for more than 4 years and wrote about them YEARS ago on the blog:
However, I did start looking elsewhere first. To be honest, I couldn’t find anything that I loved as much as their funky prints and while their covers are possibly a bit more pricey than a local home store, I just thought they looked so much better. I made my first purchase and decided to just by two covers for my smaller throw pillows to get a feel for quality and fabric. After the covers arrived I think it was two or three days before I and purchased two more because I was so impressed with the products. This is my review of using their website to shop for the items and the online shopping experience.
Navigating the site
The moment you arrive at the online shop it is pretty clear where you are. The top of the site has a quick explanation about delivery delays because of how each item is done up on a made to order basis and you’re given a host of options to find what you’re looking for. Zana is 100% South African made which I love. There is an about tab at the top of the page that explains the Mother Daughter team that set up this company. Contact details and your shopping cart are also top and centre, so need to search for details if you want to get hold of the business. The site itself is easy to navigate, well sorted and I love the inclusion of lifestyle pictures in the product pages, so you can get a feel for how the fabrics and designs work in various spaces. There are also customer reviews at the bottom of the page.
Checking out and payment
The site is easy to navigate and checking out is a breeze. For payment you have the option of using Payfast or Snap Scan. I have Payfast on my own online store and have an account with them, so I do prefer this option to other gateways available. However, I’ve also got the Snap Scan app on my phone and have found that I use it more since its integration into online stores because I don’t need to enter credit card details online. I really like Snap Scan and have used it for both of my purchases. The integration between the online store and my phone was great. If you’re purchasing online via mobile and paying via mobile, I’m not really a fan. If, like me, you purchased on your desktop and then paid via mobile SnapScan is awesome.
Receiving items and Courier Company
If you purchase an item and reside in Cape Town Zana uses Fastway to send your order out. For those outside of Cape Town they use The Courier Guy. Both my items arrived within 2 days of getting a dispatch mail from Zana. When the items leave with the courier company they send you an automated mail which includes the tracking number and how to track your parcel. I wasn’t always a fan of Courier Guy but I’ve had some decent experiences with them since COVID hit. They haven’t given me a headache. My items arrived really well packaged and then further wrapped in brown paper with a little personalised note included, which I loved.
Final Thoughts
Purchasing from the Zana site was so easy and hassle free. More importantly though, my cushion covers are gorgeous. The fabric is strong and durable, perfect for daily use on the couches. The quality was superior to the cheaper options in big retail and I’m absolutely obsessed with the patterns. I now have my eye on the duffel bag on their site, which will likely be a birthday present to myself. I cannot recommend buying from Zana enough. You’ll be supporting a local women owned business and you’ll be getting quality products as well.
Disclosure: I used my own money to make these purchases and Audiomart was not aware I was going to review their offering.
