FAQ
About the furniture collection
‘Live edge’ or ‘natural edge’ is a style of furniture where the furniture designer or craftsperson incorporates the natural edge of the wood into the design of the piece. Special techniques and methods are needed to craft the wood into different furniture types.
‘‘Live edge’ is typically a contemporary style that shows the natural beauty and rawness of the wood.
You can buy our furniture on this eCommerce site today, or you can visit our showrooms in:
Nkok - GSEZ, Gabon;
Miami (FL), USA [Opening end of 2022];
Libreville, Gabon [Opening end of 2022].
Akiba offers a collection of unique elegant furniture, designed by our in-house design team as well as renowned Gabonese, African and International contemporary designers.
From the careful selection of exotic noble wood species to its transformation, and design, skilled and passionate local talent creates the ultimate standard in wood furniture.
About the brand
Environmental & Ethical sourcing
The wood used in Akiba’s products are exclusively from Gabon. They are consolidated in Nkok (22km northwest of the capital city Libreville) and manufactured in the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ).
Our trees are harvested in a way that causes minimal damage to the surrounding trees and vegetation. They are then transported on roads which have been carefully routed and narrowly constructed to create minimal disturbance to the forest. Selective felling also promotes new growth in the forest as it allows sunlight to penetrate the dense forest canopy, enabling smaller tree species and other vegetation to grow more quickly and boosting carbon sequestration. Find out more about sustainable forestry here
By working closely together with our communities, Akiba has learnt of the profound respect and connection the Gabonese people have to their forests. It has informed our aspirations to foster sustainable and inclusive growth within the communities we operate in. Plans to upskill local talent further with a Training Academy and supporting local educational intuitions form part of the Akiba ‘way’.
In addition, all of the wood used in Akiba’s products are exclusively from Gabon and manufactured in the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ). GSEZ is a Public-Private Partnership between Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) and the Gabonese Republic. GSEZ is one of the country’s largest employers and a provider of training opportunities for the Gabonese youth.
Within GSEZ, 8,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs have been created for the Gabonese people, all of which are supported by high international standards on health and safety, and environmental sustainability.
The Tracer initiative was spearheaded by the Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) and managed by the Forêt Ressources Management (FRM) group and Brainforest – a Gabonese non-governmental organization (NGO).
The Tracer initiative is important because it creates a rigorous accountability mechanism to ensure that all Akiba’s sourced woods adhere to the Gabonese Forestry Code, which is one of the most robust in the world. It ensures that Akiba trees are harvested on a 20-year rotating basis, that only mature trees at a certain diameter and height are selected, and that all Akiba’s furniture is sourced and processed in the country of origin.
Purchase & Shipping
You can buy our furniture on this eCommerce site today by sending us an enquiry, or you can visit our showrooms.
Get details here
Our showrooms are in:
Nkok - GSEZ, Gabon (functional with opening hours Monday to Saturday between 10am-5pm)
Miami (FL), USA [opening November 2022)
Libreville , Gabon [Opening end of 2022]
We currently have our main functional showroom in Nkok, Gabon. A flagship store will be inaugurated end of 2022 in Libreville, Gabon as well as a showroom in Fort Lauderdale (Miami - FL) in United States in November 2022.
Once you have submitted an enquiry on our website, you will be able to track your order through our delivery partner's website online. Should you have any queries please contact customercare@akibafurniture.com. Facility of tracking delivery on our website will be activated soon.