Even though Patio Warehouse is the largest stockist of outdoor patio furniture in Africa, having grown from one to six branches in only a few years, it is still a family business at heart. Find out more about the dedicated Delport family that makes this business tick.
In 2005, Patio Warehouse officially opened its first branch in Randburg. With hard work and dedication, five additional stores have been opened nationwide since: Centurion, Canal Walk, Somerset West, Umhlanga, and George.
Despite being the leader in the patio furniture industry, Patio Warehouse started from humble beginnings. In fact, it began with a family discussion over a Sunday lunch.
Family has always been very important to the Delport household, and this was the reason for founding the company—to keep the family together and leave a legacy for future generations. For the past 40 years, the Delport family has been spending holidays in the Garden Route area, and this is where they realised realised the need for outdoor furniture suppliers with vast selections. From the start, their vision for the new business was to sell outdoor furniture in a store that was stocked with everything you could possibly need for a patio. This is how the name, Patio Warehouse, was born.
Committing to their dream, all three of the children resigned from their permanent jobs and started to build their family’s dream. Although they were all still very young, they were a good team. Under the guidance of their father, their vision became a reality when they opened their first Patio Warehouse branch in June 2005.
After putting in many long hours, their dedication paid off; they opened two more branches three years later: Cape Town and Centurion. In 2010, their Somerset West branch was launched. A mere four years later, the town of Umhlanga also got access to their own Patio Warehouse branch.
This year, another feather in the family’s cap was added when a new store in George was opened. Of this milestone, Michael Delport, Chairman of the Patio Warehouse group, says: “Opening a Patio Warehouse in George was both a personal and strategic decision. The father of this family-owned business is very passionate about the new branch!”