ABOUT US

WELCOME TO CANNATA

Cannata’s story in stone began over a century ago, in 1910, when Liborio Cannata, an Italian immigrant to South Africa, established L. Cannata & Sons (Pty) Ltd in Johannesburg. Four generations later, Cannata continues to honour Liborio’s tradition of stone masonry in a modern factory setting in Cape Town. 

The knowledge that has been passed down through these generational lines, both within the family tree, and in the production factory, gives Cannata an expertise that surpasses any in the industry. 

  • 1902

    Liborio Cannata arrives in Johannesburg from Mistretta, Sicily, as a 27-year-old stone mason. 

  • 1910

    Liborio founds a company, L. Cannata & Sons (Pty) Ltd, in Johannesburg, producing hand-carved granite and marble monuments. 

  • 1921

    At the age of 46, Liborio dies, leaving the company to his widow Ernestina. She runs the business until her two sons, Italo and Mario, are old enough to take over.

  • 1960's

    The Cannata brothers open the first granite quarry in South Africa (in Lonehill, Johannesburg), and begin trading Italian marble for South Africa’s famous Rustenburg granite. They become South Africa’s leading experts in imported marble.

  • 1974

    Mario leaves the business, and Italo continues running it until his death four years later, after selling the quarry in 1975.

  • 1978

    Italo’s sons, Italo Liborio and Mario, inherit the business, and focus on supplying the South African market with specialised stone work.

  • 1997

    Italo Liborio, by now the sole owner of the company, moves the company to Cape Town, to begin work on the new Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront, whose stone surfaces can still be appreciated today. This begins the company’s journey in the hospitality and residential space, leading to many similar projects and a reputation for quality excellence around the world.

  • 2000's

    Cannata goes international. African granite surfaces are supplied for nine high-rise buildings in New York City. Stone product is fabricated for apartments and hotels in the Seychelles (including the Raffles Resort), and stone is supplied and installed for hotel brands such as Radisson, Hilton and Southern Sun. 

  • 2006

    Italo and his son Christiano develop a system for recycling water in the Cannata factory. This enhances the company’s sustainable process of fabrication.  

  • 2007

    A new Cannata factory is built in Paarden Island, Cape Town, with increased fabrication capacity. The larger yard allows the business to import massive stone slabs, sourced according to each project’s unique requirements.

  • 2008

    Claudia Cannata-King enters the family business. Her background in design heralds a new age for the business, enhancing the creativity, versatility and point of difference in the more than 100-year-old brand.

  • 2011

    Italo Jnr joins the company, heading up commercial projects. Cannata starts manufacturing its own terrazzo products, made from discarded stone offcuts that cannot be used in projects, thus reducing the company’s waste footprint.

  • 2019

    Cannata co-founds The Dialogue Room and begins working with designers to produce stone furniture and accessories. Collaborations with Studio AN (SA), Black Sheep Interior Design (Canada) and Make Studio (SA) lead to a stone bathroom collection, terrazzo fireplace mantles, lights, mirrors, benches and more. The Dialogue Room closes its showroom in 2022 but Cannata continues to manufacture furniture and accessories with local and international designers and retailers.   

  • 2024

    Projects expand into Africa and the UAE, affirming Cannata’s status as the go-to company for sourcing, engineering and installing premium stone in ground-breaking ways.

A FAMILY BRAND

Cannata is a family business of stone masons that combines age-old stone-carving skill and craftsmanship with modern technology and a genuine passion for natural materials. 

From founder Liborio Cannata to the current family members at the helm – Liborio’s grandson Italo Cannata, and his great-granddaughter Claudia Cannata-King –  the Cannata name equates to both a strong Italian heritage and a renowned reputation in the South African design and manufacturing industry. Italo, who has been involved in the business since he was 16, is considered to be South Africa’s greatest expert in stone.

The Cannata family prides itself on the long-lasting relationships it has built with stone companies and quarries around the world. Cannata’s brand legacy has stood the test of time, stretching through generations of family members, suppliers, clients and employees. 

  • 1965
    Quarry men team, Britz

  • 1952
    Handcrafted headstone invoice

  • 1970
    Italo F. Cannata, Second generation

  • 1916
    Headstone inscription

  • 1965
    Mario Cannata, Second generation with quarry foreman

INTEGRITY AND CREATIVITY 

Cannata reimagines stone for beautiful spaces, bringing a sense of tailored refinement to every project. While being rooted in tradition, the company has expanded its technology over more than 100 years, establishing innovative processes for the fabrication of stone through intensive research and development. While Cannata’s work is always elegant, it adds surprising touches to finishes, enhancing stone’s discreetly textured yet highly sensory characteristics. 

This passion for crafting stone to highlight the beauty of its honest nature is what makes Cannata a leader in the field. The business’s reputation for ‘making stone talk’ comes from a history of creative applications, and a consistency and reliability that is very much appreciated in the often-unpredictable building industry. Meticulous workmanship and technical design expertise have established this trusted South African brand as an authority in stone around the world. 

The company’s strong relationships with clients and suppliers are testament to the integrity and personal care with which it runs its operations. This is also evident in the family-driven approach it takes to embracing its multi-generational, multi-cultural workforce. 

Collaborating on projects with Cannata offers a fascinating education in stone – a welcoming  immersion in heritage and craftsmanship that leaves a timeless impression. 

FOUR GENERATIONS OF HERITAGE

Liborio Cannata was not only an exceptional sculptor and monumental stone mason, but an ambitious entrepreneur and pioneer, who opened the first granite quarry in Lonehill, Johannesburg. After his death in 1930, his wife Ernestina and sons Mario and Italo Filippo took over the business, becoming specialists in the production of stone monuments. In the early 1960s, they opened Cannata Quarries in the Britz area, exporting stone to Germany.

In 1977, the third generation of Cannatas in South Africa entered the business, learning from and adding to the family’s expertise. In 1998, under the leadership of Italo Liborio, the company moved its operations to Cape Town. Since then, Cannata has diversified  from monumental stone masonry and running quarries to servicing the South African interior-design market, supplying counter tops, furniture, flooring and wall cladding for hotel projects, commercial centres and residences. 

Since 2008, Claudia Cannata-King (daughter of Italo Liborio) has been part of the family business. Her brothers Italo Jnr and Christiano also joined for a number of years – all three mentored in the trade by their father. Together, they played an integral role in the modern-era iteration of this heritage business. As the fourth generation in this family of stone experts, Claudia has inherited valuable skills and know-how that she applies in exciting new ways, bringing a contemporary sensibility to this treasured traditional material.

  • 1975
    Monumental stonemasons & office staff, JHB

  • 1962
    Staircase soffit cladding, Durban

  • 1967
    Cannata Quarry, boulder formation

  • 1967
    Scaffold rigging in Cannata quarry

  • 1962
    Marble staircase, Durban

SKILL-SHARING CULTURE

Some of Cannata’s talented artisans have been with the company for over 40 years. They still get excited about the possibilities of stone, exploring finishes according to client needs. Cannata’s current workforce spans two generations, employing fathers and sons, cousins and brothers, with family members sharing skills and knowledge in the factory environment, making production processes dynamic, fun and efficient. 

Cannata’s master craftsmen train younger employees, maintaining the highest standard of stone work in the industry. While operators of the traditional bridge saw work alongside colleagues manning modern CNC machinery, they learn from one another, advancing their skillset while developing innovative ideas.