Little Africa FAQ's - questions about our fair trade animal candles

Little Africa's candles are unique in many ways. Our products are all of animals, extremely well designed and handcrafted to produce a truly amazing candle. When lit the centre of the candle burns leaving the patterned outer shell intact so the flame creates a soft colourful glow, emitting different colours depending on the patterns chosen. When the candle has burnt all the way down you are left with a void where you can place a tea light, resulting in a candle holder/ornament for life. Small candles do not burn in this fashion, only medium and large candles leave a void for re-use.

What animals do Little Africa candles come in?

The African animal range of candles encompasses many of the African animals we are all familar with such as elephants, rhinos, hippos, warthogs, buffalos, giraffes and zebras but also includes other animals such as tortoises, frogs, owls, guinea fowls, ducks, pigs and fish.

What patterns do the candles come in?

The candles come in a variety of patterns as illustrated on our product range page. Some animals only come in one pattern, some in several. To see availability of specific patterns please see our online catalogue.

How do the candles burn?

When lit the centre of the candle burns leaving the patterned outer shell intact so the flame creates a soft colourful glow, emitting different colours depending on the patterns chosen. When the candle has burnt all the way down you are left with a void where you can place a tea light, resulting in a candle holder/ornament for life. small sizes, frogs, owls and fish do not burn in this fashion and can NOT fit a tea light in once used. Only medium and large candles leave a void for re-use.

Can the candles be used indoors and outdoors?

These are not just candles, they are works of art, a fusion of candle and ornament. They are particularly ornamental in their design and whether lit as a centrepiece on a table, in the garden in the summer time or just standing on the mantlepiece they never go unnoticed. Although, once the initial wax has been tipped off the candle (see after sales care) no more wax will drip down the candle, it may be safer to sit the candle on a glass candle dish or something similar to avoid any damage to the surface from hot wax. As with all candles If it is particularly windy you may need to place the candle in a glass vase / container to stop it being blown out.

Are the candles Fair Trade?

Yes - The candles are all fair trade and imported from Africa where they are handmade in compliance with current world fair trade regulations. This means the candles are produced within the 10 main critera (created by the WFTO) listed below; to download a full copy of the fair trade critera click here.

Standard One: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers

Standard Two: Transparency and Accountability

Standard Three: Trading Practices

Standard Four: Payment of a Fair Price

Standard Six: Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association

Standard Seven: Working Conditions

Standard Eight: Capacity & Skills Building

Standard Nine: Promotion of Fair Trade

Standard Ten: Minimum impact on the environment

What is Fair Trade?

Fair Trade is an internationally-recognised approach to trading which aims to ensure that producers in poor countries get a fair deal. A fair deal includes a fair price for goods and services, decent working conditions, and a commitment from buyers so that there is reasonable security for the producers.

Fair trade is about making a difference! It is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price).

Fair trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.

What are the Fair Trade Standards?

Fair trade standards comprise both minimum social, economic and environmental requirements, which producers must meet to be certified, plus progress requirements that encourage continuous improvement to develop farmers’ organisations or the situation of estate workers.

Our Fair Trade candles are imported from Africa where they are handmade in compliance with current world fair trade regulations. This means the candles are produced within the 10 main critera created by the WFTO listed below; to download a full copy of the fair trade critera click here.

Standard One: Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers

Standard Two: Transparency and Accountability

Standard Three: Trading Practices

Standard Four: Payment of a Fair Price

Standard Six: Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association

Standard Seven: Working Conditions

Standard Eight: Capacity & Skills Building

Standard Nine: Promotion of Fair Trade

Standard Ten: Minimum impact on the environment

Is there an after care routine for the candles?

Yes - Our Handmade Candles take advantage of the finest braided lead-free cotton wicks so your candles will burn evenly, cleanly and brightly. The wick of your new candle will arrive trimmed to the proper height. Trim your decorative candle wicks to between 1/4" and 1/2" before each lighting. A short candle wick produces a smaller more controlled smoke free flame. Snip the excess after each use to get rid of black buildup on the tip, which causes the wick to bend and the wax to melt unevenly. Never leave wick trimmings in the candle.

Keep our African candles, and all other types, away from open windows, fans, and heat or air-conditioning vents. The blowing air can move the wick and cause dripping wax, smoke, and uneven burning. Burn candles on a level heat resistant surface. If you experience any difficulty lighting your handmade candle, turn it to a slight angle while lighting to create a "melt pool" and hold until the flame takes on "a life of it's own".

Limit the burn time: Good Housekeeping's rule of thumb: Burn one hour for every inch of the candle's diameter, and never for more than four hours at once. Let the candle harden and completely cool before re-lighting. Always trim the wick before you re-light. Keep your wick centered.

If the wick appears to be drowning in the wax pool, extinguish the candle and using an oven mitt, pour-off the excess melted wax onto a wet paper towel. Do not move candles while burning. Keep burning candles away from children and pets and never leave a burning candle unattended.

Decorative candles don't belong in table wreaths or wrapped in ribbons or other flammable decorations.

Follow these tips and use these unique handmade African candles often to add to the beauty and decor of any room. At night, when they glow from within, these decorative candles are superb for enhancing the ambience of any setting. Download copy of the after sales care.

Do all the candles burn in the same way?

No - All the medium and large candles burn keeping the exterior intact and leave a void where a tea light can be placed so the candle becomes a candle holder for as long as you want. The small candles and the frogs do not leave a void to be used again with a tea light, but still burn like a normal candle with the harder exterior wax still maintaining the candles shape.

What candle sizes are available?

All our candles come in a variety of sizes and weight. please see the table below:

Candle Type	Weight (g)	Height (cm)
Small Elephant	250g	9cm
Medium Elephant	430g	12.5cm
Large Elephant	1200g	14cm
Small Rhino	250g	9cm
Medium Rhino	430g	11cm
Large Rhino	1200g	14cm
Small Hippo	250g	9cm
Medium Hippo	430g	10cm
Large Hippo	1200g	14cm
Medium Giraffe	430g	23cm
Large Giraffe	820g	30cm
Zebra	430g	20cm
Warthog	325g	10cm
Medium Buffalo	430g	14.5cm
Large Buffalo	1200g	18cm
Small Guinea Fowl	140g	7cm
Medium Guniea Fowl	300g	10cm
Large Guinea Fowl	530g	11cm
Dolphin	120g	6cm
Pig	325g	10cm
Frogs	240g	9.5cm
Owls	300g	10cm
Fish	120g	9cm
Tortoises	375g	6cm

These sizes are a guide only, the candles are handmade and therefore the weights and sizes may differ slightly.

Can I pay with Paypal without a paypal account?

Yes you can, when you select "checkout" paypal will give you the option of logging in or to the left of the log in box is an option to pay with a major credit card. Choose that option if you do not have a paypal account.

Can I pay with a credit card?

Can I order multiple candles?

Yes you can. Select the first candle you wish to buy then choose "continue shopping" in the paypal window and then browse to the other animals and "add to cart" whichever candles you wish. You do not need to leave the Paypal window open to maintain your order, when you select more candles you will see your previous candle(s) still in your shopping basket.

Is there only one postage / delivery option?

Currently we only offer one option for the postage, as a recorded standard package. This should reach you within 3 working days but that depends on Royal Mail. Please read our terms and conditions on postage and delivery for futher information.

If you have an urgent order please call me on 07815 484195 to discuss next day delivery. This will incur an additional cost of £6.99 and will need to be added to your paypal payment upon checkout.

How are the candles made?

The candles are made entirely by hand with NO moulds at all. The craftsmen start with a warm ball of wax which they cover with the outer coloured wax veneer before starting to mould the ball of wax to the shape of the particular animal they are designing. To view some videos of the candles being made please click here.