Xanita Board: The Proudly South African Board Behind Our Spinning Wheels
Pick up one of our spinning wheels and the first surprise is the weight. A wheel that stands taller than a counter lifts with one hand, yet it takes a full day of being spun, leaned on and packed into a boot without complaint. The board that makes that possible is Xanita, an engineered paper fibreboard made locally from recycled fibre, and it is the quiet hero behind some of the products we sell most.
This guide explains what Xanita board is, why we build with it, and how it compares with the other boards we print on. Then it takes a close look at our best-selling Xanita product, the branded spinning wheel, which comes in three sizes and which we have built by the hundred.
Xanita is a rigid fibreboard with a recycled kraft-paper core between white, printable liners. It is made locally in South Africa from recycled paper fibre, and it is light, strong, VOC-free and fully recyclable with ordinary paper. We print on it directly on our UV flatbed, laminate the print and cut it on our IECHO BK digital flatbed cutter, which is how our spinning wheels, display stands and counter units are made. Spinning wheels come in three sizes: tabletop, regular standing and XL standing. Xanita is an indoor board: for outdoor signage, read our signage materials guide.
What Xanita board is
Xanita is a South African company, founded in 2004 to give designers and display makers an alternative to MDF and plastic sheet. Its board is a sandwich: a closed-cell core made from recovered kraft paper fibre, the kind that starts life as cardboard boxes, glued between two smooth liners. On Xanita Print, the version we stock, the liners are bright white and take ink beautifully. The whole thing is paper, which is why a retired display can go into the paper recycling stream instead of landfill.
The numbers behind the feel are worth knowing. Xanita quotes its board as up to 75% lighter than MDF and stronger than the honeycomb boards it resembles. The adhesives contain no harmful resins and the board's VOC emissions are negligible, so it is safe in a shop, a school or a hospital foyer. The fibre is FSC certified, and the board is fully repulpable. It is moisture resistant but not waterproof, so it belongs indoors or under cover.
| Xanita Print at 24HR Media | 10 mm | 16 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet size we stock | 2,440 × 1,220 mm | 2,440 × 1,220 mm |
| Weight (Xanita's figure) | 1.65 kg per m² | 2.17 kg per m² |
| A full sheet weighs | about 5 kg | about 6.5 kg |
| Where we use it | spinning wheel discs, shelves and panels, counter units | larger wheels, structural stands, anything that needs extra stiffness |
| direct UV flatbed, laminated | direct UV flatbed, laminated | |
| Cutting | IECHO BK digital flatbed cutter | IECHO BK digital flatbed cutter |
Xanita makes other thicknesses to order, but 10 mm and 16 mm cover almost everything we build, and keeping both on the shelf means a wheel or a stand can go into production the day the artwork is approved.
Why we build with it
Xanita or another board
We print on Correx, ABS, foam board, Chromadek and Dibond every day as well, and each has its place. The honest comparison for indoor displays looks like this.
| Board | What it is | Best for | Weight | Outdoors | End of life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xanita | Recycled kraft fibreboard, white liners | Spinning wheels, stands, shelves, counters, flat-pack displays | Very light for its stiffness | No, indoor or under cover | Paper recycling |
| Correx | Fluted polypropylene sheet | Economy standees, event and estate signs | Light | Yes, short term | Plastic |
| Foam board | PVC foam sheet | Smooth indoor standees and panels | Light | Sheltered only | Plastic |
| ABS | Solid plastic sheet | Premium standees that must last | Heavier | Yes | Plastic |
| MDF | Compressed wood fibre | Furniture-grade fixtures | Heavy | No | Wood waste |
The pattern is simple. If the display lives indoors, needs to be carried, and has to look printed rather than painted, Xanita wins. If it has to stand in the rain, a plastic or metal board takes over, and our signage materials guide walks through those.
Our best seller, the spinning wheel
Nothing draws a queue at an expo stand like a wheel and a prize. A branded spinning wheel gives people a reason to stop, a reason to talk to your rep and a reason to hand over their details, and it does it with a click-click-click that carries across a hall. We have built hundreds of them for activations, trade shows, retail promotions, school fêtes and staff events, and the demand has never dropped off.
Every wheel is made the same way in our Cape Town factory. Your artwork is printed directly onto Xanita board on the UV flatbed, laminated to protect the face, and cut into the disc, the pegs and the base on our IECHO BK digital flatbed cutter. The wheel turns on a smooth central spindle, a flapper clicks over the pegs as it slows, and the base is a Xanita structure printed with your branding on every visible face. It arrives assembled or as a few parts that slot together in minutes.
| Size | Where it works | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Tabletop | Counters, reception desks, compact expo stands | Retail promotions, sales counters, bulk orders for a branch roll-out |
| Regular standing | Beside a stand or in a store aisle | Trade shows, activations, in-store competitions |
| XL standing | Open floors, atriums and outdoor-under-cover events | Big activations where the wheel has to be seen from across the room |
- Build: printed and laminated Xanita disc on a printed Xanita base
- Segments: your prizes, colours and logo, laid out by our studio or from your artwork
- Carry: one hand; sits on any counter or table
- Ideal for: tills, reception desks, compact stands and multi-branch orders
- Build: larger disc on a full-height printed plinth, in 10 mm or 16 mm board depending on the size
- Presence: the plinth is a billboard for the offer, the wheel is the draw
- Transport: flat-packs for the car; assembles without tools
- Ideal for: expo stands, activations, atriums and store entrances
Custom configurations are welcome: a different shape of base, a wheel that mounts on a wall or a counter unit, more or fewer segments, or a dry-erase laminate so the prizes can change between events. Resellers and agencies order wheels through our Reseller Partner Programme with tiered pricing.
Spinning wheels we have built
A few from the workshop floor, all Xanita, all printed and cut in Cape Town.
- The brief: a high-contrast wheel where every segment shows a product from the range
- The build: black plinth, full-colour disc, icon per segment
- The brief: a set of matching wheels on printed counters for a store roll-out
- The build: photographic print wrapped around each counter, wheel on top, identical across the set
- The brief: a spin-and-win wheel for a holiday resort's guest activations
- The build: shaped plinth cut on the flatbed cutter, two-colour disc with a clear win layout
What else we make in Xanita
The wheel is the star, but the same board and the same cutter turn out a lot of the point-of-sale work that leaves our factory.
- Standing shelf units: printed header, branded shelves, product on display in the aisle
- Counter units: a printed counter or countertop unit that carries the promotion and the stock
- Flat-pack displays: designed to ship flat and assemble on site for national roll-outs
- One-offs: plinths, shaped stands and structures drawn for your campaign and cut to fit
If the piece needs to live outdoors, or needs to be wiped down daily, we will steer you to a plastic or metal board instead. For the rest of the point-of-sale family, from standees and entry boxes to giant cheques and selfie frames, read our point-of-sale displays guide.
Artwork and care
Designing a wheel. Keep the number of segments to what people can read from two metres: eight to twelve is the sweet spot. Give every segment a strong colour block and short text, put the logo in the hub, and make the win segments unmistakable. Photographs work best on the plinth, where they have room. Send print-ready PDFs with 3 mm bleed on the disc and the base panels, or ask our studio to lay the wheel out for you.
Looking after it. Xanita is paper at heart, so keep it dry, wipe it with a dry or barely damp cloth, and store the wheel flat or standing, out of direct sun. Treated that way a wheel runs event after event. Should a segment need a new prize, a dry-erase laminate or a replacement disc keeps the base in service.
At the end. Because the board is repulpable, a retired display can go out with the paper recycling. That is a genuine difference from a plastic or foam wheel, and it is one more reason the material earns its place.
How we make Xanita displays in Cape Town
Everything is made at our factory in Atlas Gardens, Cape Farms, Cape Town. Artwork and turnaround questions are answered in our Help Centre, and agencies and print brokers can supply the whole range through our Reseller Partner Programme.
Frequently asked questions
What is Xanita board?
Xanita is an engineered fibreboard made locally in South Africa from recycled fibre, since 2004. A closed-cell core of recovered kraft-paper fibre sits between two white liners, giving a board that is light, stiff, printable and fully repulpable. We stock it in 10 mm and 16 mm.
Is Xanita waterproof?
No. It is moisture resistant, but it is a paper product and it belongs indoors or under cover. For outdoor signage we print on Correx, ABS, Chromadek or Dibond instead.
What sizes do your spinning wheels come in?
Three: tabletop for counters and desks, regular standing for expo stands and store aisles, and XL standing for large open spaces. Custom sizes and configurations are available.
How long does a spinning wheel last?
Kept dry and out of direct sun, a laminated Xanita wheel runs event after event. Many of our customers reuse the same wheel for years, and a dry-erase laminate lets the prizes change between campaigns.
Can I supply my own artwork?
Yes. Send print-ready PDFs with 3 mm bleed, or send your logo and prize list and our studio will lay the wheel out for you. We proof every wheel before it prints.
Can you make a wheel in a custom shape or size?
Yes. Different base shapes, wall-mounted wheels, counter units with a wheel on top, more segments or fewer: tell us the idea and the space it needs to fit.
Do you make other displays in Xanita?
Yes. Standing shelf units, counter units, flat-pack displays, plinths and shaped stands are all built from the same board on the same digital flatbed cutter. See our custom point of sale builds.
Is Xanita really recyclable?
Yes. The board is fully repulpable, so at the end of its life it can go out with the paper recycling. The adhesives contain no harmful resins and VOC emissions are negligible.
Ready for a wheel of your own?
Tell us where the wheel will stand, which of the three sizes you have in mind and what the prizes are, and send your logo or artwork. We will lay it out, print it on Xanita board in our Cape Town factory and have it clicking in no time.
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