Upholsterer

The Royal Portfolio; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Portfolio seeks an experienced Upholsterer for its Diep River warehouse in Cape Town. You will repair and refurbish furniture for our Cape properties, ensuring pieces meet the luxury standards guests expect. You will plan workloads, source materials with procurement, and collaborate with carpentry to deliver timely, quality results.

As the sole upholsterer on site, you will maintain a tidy workshop, manage consumables, and uphold safety and craftsmanship across all refurbishments.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years' experience as a qualified Upholsterer.
• Relevant upholstery trade qualification or apprenticeship is an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of fabrics, padding, foams, springs, and furniture construction.
• Own upholstery tools are advantageous but not essential.
• Excellent planning and prioritisation for fluctuating workloads across properties.

Responsibilities

• Repair and refurbish furniture from Cape properties to luxury standards.
• Plan workload across multiple properties and set realistic turnaround times.
• Source and manage materials in collaboration with Design & Procurement.
• Collaborate with carpentry for items needing structural repair.
• Maintain high quality finishes matching The Royal Portfolio’s standards.
• Provide regular progress feedback to Design & Procurement on timelines and needs.
• Keep the Diep River workshop organized, clean and stocked.

Skills

Planning & prioritisation

Self-motivated

English communication

Independent work

Attention to detail

Education

Upholstery trade qualification or apprenticeship

Tools

Upholstery tools

Job description

The Upholsterer at The Royal Portfolio’s Warehouse in Diep River is solely responsible for repairing and refurbishing furniture items sent from our Cape properties; restoring each piece to the standard our guests expect. This ensures that we can continue to deliver on our company purpose, which is “to give our guests a complete experience and a perfect stay”.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Furniture Repair & Refurbishment – Receive, assess and repair or reupholster furniture items sent from our three Cape properties, including re-webbing, re-springing, padding and re-covering, finished to the standard expected of a luxury hotel group.

• Workload Planning & Prioritisation – Plan for and prioritise a fluctuating workload across multiple properties, managing several jobs at once and agreeing realistic turnaround times with Design & Procurement.

• Materials & Fabric Management – Assess fabric, foam, trim and haberdashery requirements for each job, and liaise with the Design & Procurement team at Head Office to source and order materials timeously.

• Collaboration with Carpentry – Work alongside the Carpenter on items requiring structural repair, coordinating timelines to ensure a smooth handover between trades.

• Quality & Craftsmanship – Maintain a consistently high standard of finish, in keeping with the furniture, fabrics and finishes found across The Royal Portfolio's properties.

• Reporting & Communication – Provide regular feedback to the Design & Procurement team on job progress, timelines, and any items or materials requiring further instruction or approval.

• Workshop Management – Keep the upholstery workshop, tools and equipment at the Diep River warehouse organised, clean and safe, and manage stock levels of consumables.

REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPECTATIONS

• At least 5 years' experience as a qualified Upholsterer, ideally gained on high-end furniture or within the luxury hospitality industry.

• A relevant upholstery trade qualification or apprenticeship is a distinct advantage.

• Strong working knowledge of fabrics, pattern matching, foams & feather inners, springing and furniture construction.

• Own set of upholstery tools is advantageous, but not essential.

• Excellent planning and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage a fluctuating workload across multiple properties.

• Self-motivated with strong initiative, able to work independently and manage own time, as the sole upholsterer on site.

• Meticulous attention to detail and a genuine pride in the quality and finish of your work.

• Physically able to lift, move and manoeuvre furniture, and to work with hand and power tools.

• Well mannered, self-motivated, positive and eager to learn.

• Good communication skills in English, able to liaise clearly with the Design & Procurement team and other trades.

• Reliable own transport to the warehouse in Diep River, Cape Town, is essential.

It is important that the candidate is able to work as part of a team and is a good cultural fit for The Royal Portfolio.

South African citizenship is advantageous. A valid work permit is essential if you are not in possession of a South African ID document.

Please note it is a condition of employment, that all staff undergo a pre-employment polygraph test.