Request for information for compressed hot towels

Issue date: 22 October 2026

Questions deadline: 29 October 2026 (send to [email protected])

Closing date and time: 05 November 2026 at 16:00 (GMT+2)

Enquiries:

• Contact: Onkarabetse Leburu
• Email: [email protected]

Submissions:

• Email: [email protected]

Samples address:

SAA Airways Park

32 Jones Road

Kempton Park

Johannesburg, South Africa

Submission method: email

Submission email: [email protected]

Closing date and time: 05 November 2026 at 16:00 (GMT+2)

Returnable documents:

• Section 2 — Supplier Information form: company name, registration number, postal and street addresses, internet address, contact person (name, designation, telephone, fax), directors' names and designations, total number of employees, and a signed declaration that the information is correct and complete.
• Any information requested in the RFI, including product drawings/images, dimensions, weights, material composition, activation method, test results, shelf life, packaging, branding, sample availability, production capacity, lead times, indicative pricing, quality controls, and compliance documentation.

Notes:

• All costs of preparing and submitting a response are for the vendor's account.
• Supporting documentation and manuals submitted become SAA's property unless the vendor states otherwise at submission.
• Late submissions may be considered or refused at SAA's discretion.
• No award will be made from this RFI; the subsequent RFP may be restricted to those who responded.

Section 2 — Supplier Information form, to be completed by the vendor: company name, company registration number, postal and street address, internet address, contact person (name, designation, telephone, fax), names and designations of the company's directors, total number of employees, and a signed declaration confirming the information supplied is correct and complete and accurately reflects the company's capability.

This is a Request for Information, not a bid. No formal evaluation or scoring criteria are stated. Responses will be used to pre-screen potential bidders for a future RFP. The product must retain the service quality, hygiene, comfort and presentation expected of an SAA hot towel.

Scope: Supply of compressed hot towels for onboard use on South African Airways flights, supporting domestic, regional and international operations.

Product requirements:

• Supplied as a dry, compact tablet that expands into a soft, durable hot towel when activated with water.
• Must expand evenly into a clean, intact towel when the specified quantity of hot or warm water is applied.
• Must be soft against the skin, sufficiently absorbent, lint resistant, odour free, colourfast where applicable, and strong enough to remain intact during normal use without tearing or disintegrating.
• Must be hygienically manufactured, free from visible defects, contamination and loose fibres, and suitable for direct contact with passengers' hands and face.
• Must not contain substances that irritate the skin or create an unpleasant odour when heated.
• Any fragrance or added treatment must be clearly declared and separately approved by SAA.

Information suppliers must provide:

• Product drawings or images; compressed and expanded dimensions; unit weight; material composition; activation method; recommended water volume and temperature; expansion time; absorbency and strength test results; microbiological and skin-safety information; shelf life; storage requirements; packaging configuration; branding options; sample availability; production capacity; minimum order quantities; lead times; delivery options; indicative pricing; quality controls; and relevant environmental, safety and product compliance documentation.

Materials and packaging:

• Must be manufactured from responsibly sourced, environmentally preferable materials; preference for renewable, biodegradable or compostable fibres supported by credible evidence.
• Packaging must protect each tablet from moisture and contamination while minimising material use; propose recyclable, compostable or lower-impact packaging, avoid unnecessary plastic and mixed-material laminates where practicable, and provide disposal guidance and substantiation for all environmental claims.
• Responses must explain how the solution reduces storage space, transport weight, water consumption and waste compared with a conventional pre-moistened hot towel.

No materials will be supplied by SAA.

No specific eligibility or compliance requirements are stated. Prices must be stated in South African Rand. The RFI must be completed in English.

The compressed hot towel must be hygienically manufactured, free from visible defects, contamination and loose fibres, and suitable for direct contact with passengers' hands and face. It must not contain substances that may irritate the skin or create an unpleasant odour when heated. Suppliers must provide microbiological and skin-safety information, and absorbency and strength test results.

SAA requires an environmentally responsible compressed hot towel solution that reduces storage volume, transport weight, water use and packaging waste where practicable. The towel must be manufactured from responsibly sourced, environmentally preferable materials; preference will be given to renewable, biodegradable or compostable fibres supported by credible evidence. Packaging must protect each tablet from moisture and contamination while minimising material use, and must be recyclable, compostable or otherwise lower-impact, avoiding unnecessary plastic and mixed-material laminates where practicable. Suppliers must provide disposal guidance and substantiation for all environmental claims, and explain how the solution reduces storage space, transport weight, water consumption and waste compared with a conventional pre-moistened hot towel.

This is a Request for Information only; no contract will be awarded from it. All costs of preparing and submitting a response are for the vendor's account. Supporting documentation and manuals submitted become SAA's property unless the vendor states otherwise at submission. Information obtained through the RFI is regarded as confidential, but SAA does not accept liability for information that becomes public. Prices submitted are for information only and do not bind the vendor. SAA reserves the right to contact individual vendors for further information. Responses may be used to pre-screen potential bidders for the RFP process.

No award will be made following the RFI process; however, the subsequent request for bid (RFP) may be restricted to those who responded to the RFI. Responses may be used to pre-screen potential bidders for the RFP process. Vendors may submit samples, brochures or documentation of the products they supply; samples, brochures and documentation submitted will be returned to the vendor only on request.

No formal evaluation criteria are stated for this RFI. Responses will be used to pre-screen potential bidders for a future RFP. The product must retain the service quality, hygiene, comfort and presentation expected of an SAA hot towel.