Local Gift Ideas from Joburg & SA

Stuck thinking about local gift ideas for Christmas, a birthday, or anything else in between (maybe yourself…)? I feel you. Gift-giving is tough. In anticipation of Christmas, I started this list of my favorite local shops to purchase gifts from. I continue to update this list year-round, I’ll let you know when I stop.

There are like four people in the world I can confidently buy gifts for knowing that they will like what I pick. Mostly because these people have very similar tastes to my own, so I can think “what do I want?…” Typically, I ask people directly what they want. Shout out to my mom and sister who buy their gifts themselves and send me the bill (haha).

In my experience, South Africa has more high-end local souvenirs. Of course, you can get the typical wooden and sandstone animals made in Kenya and mud cloth from Mali, but these items are found in souvenir places around the continent. If you want something unique, you’ll probably end up spending a bit more.

I’m using “local” here to mean both Joburg and South Africa as most of the products can be shipped easily around the country. Many can also be shipped internationally if something really catches your eye, no matter where you are in the world.

Most of the shops I’m featuring support artists directly. Additionally, I’ve shopped at the majority of the places I’m recommending.  If I haven’t shopped there yet it’s only because my self-control to not spend money took over my want to buy the item (…for now!)

If you’re interested in local markets, check out all my favorites in Joburg.

This post contains affiliate links.

Gift Experiences

Not into purchasing materials items… or have a minimalist you’re shopping for? No worries! There are plenty of Joburg city-wide experiences that would make a great local gift idea any time of the year.

In Joburg

Honest Travel Experience— Give a city experience gift for Joburg, Cape Town, or Durban. There are a ton of options for each city. Check out the Taste of Africa Tour where the tour goes to both Yeoville and Maboneng.

One Day Africa— One Day Africa offers tours of Soweto, Maboneng or Braam street art, or Joburg city center. There are also tours in Cape Town. I went on a One Day Africa Salt River Street Art Tour while in Cape Town and loved it. You can also give the gift of a personalized photoshoot.

Microadventures Tours— Give a gift voucher for these awesome tours for graffiti pictures, coffee tasting, or a history cycle tour.  We plan on going on a biking tour soon.

Dlala Nje— Sign your loved one up for climbing 900 steps up the Vodacom tower on the Ponte City Challenge, up to the top for sundowners, or on several CBD tours. We’ve done the Ponte City Challenge, the Marshalltown tour, 5101 Sundowners, and the Taste of Yeoville tour. Dlala Nje runs “inner-city immersions and experiences in some of our city’s most misunderstood areas.” A short Ponte City Experience is also a good idea or the This is Hillbrow tour.

Joburg Places Tour— Charlie and Gerald give inner-city tours of Fashion District and Little Addis, Marshalltown, Maboneng, and Newtown! I went on the Fashion District tour and loved the experience.

City Skate Tours—send your loved one off on a skateboard with City Skate tours of CBD, Marshalltown, Maboneng, or Troyville. I’ve been on the Marshalltown tour and you can read all about my experience and why I loved it. It’s a gift for all ages!

Around Joburg

Does someone you know have a hot air balloon ride on their bucket list? Well, just an hour away from Joburg, you can gift this experience (maybe a special birthday or anniversary present?)

Pottery

I love unique pottery pieces for home decoration and kitchenware. You can gift these lovely and practical handmade pieces.

Most handmade pottery nowadays is dishwasher and microwave-safe, but I’ve found out that excessive dishwashing will dull your painted pieces out. I opt to handwash.

Imiso Ceramics

Explore the world of high-end contemporary art at Imiso Ceramics by artists Andile Dyalvane and Zizipho Poswa. Both channel their backgrounds to create contemporary African pieces. We purchased a vase from Andile’s AFRICASSO collection, which combos Pablo Picasso styles with African masks and relics.

You can visit the shop in Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill or purchase online. Pieces range between R4000 and R200,000. Most of the pieces you’ll look at are probably in the R12,000 to R30,000 range.

Art Africa

Located in Parkview, Art Africa has a collection of African gifts ranging from baskets and mudcloth to beaded silverware and postcards. I really like the pottery pieces they have in store. We purchased a lovely cup from here. They also sell some Ardmore products. Stop and wander around.

Ardmore

Ardmore art is iconic. The ceramic pieces depict intricate nature scenes. Some of the art is functional, like planters, candlesticks, and teapots, but a lot is pure art. They also have home goods like coasters and tablecloths with their designs. We bought coasters from Art Africa as they are inexpensive compared to Ardmore items.

Fine art ranges between R40,000 and R100,000. Other ceramic pieces are sold from R5,000 and up. Be cheap like me and buy coasters or napkins for R500.

For Wilhelm’s birthday, our behalf of both our parents, I purchased two beautiful soup bowls for him in 2021.

Shop online or visit the store in Hyde Square.

Rialheim

Buy fun planters, cups, bookends, and lamps at this South African designer’s unique shop. The brand began in Robertson, South Africa. Their products are simple (think white, black, and chrome color schemes) and take a minimalist approach to African design.

I’m thinking of purchasing this Unity Planter after seeing it several times… Edit: My BFF bought me the planter for my birthday in 2021 <3

Product prices range from mugs for R150 to bookends for R6000.

Visit the shop at Soko District in Rosebank Mall, at Rand Steam Shopping Center, or shop online.

Storm in a Teacup

Strom in a Teacup has delicate, handmade cups, plates, bowls, jars, vases, mugs, and much more. Don’t purchase for a clumsy friend or family member because much of the dishware is a thin layer of clay. We purchased two cups from here the first time we visited. They also sell baskets, bags, and socks. We bought Wilhelm’s dad socks here last year for Christmas.

Products range from R100 up, if you get a set of cups then you may spend about R300.

Visit the shop at 44 Stanley or shop online.

Pottery at Markets

Lauren Jarvis Ceramics

I came across Lauren’s pieces at the Linden Market and was enthralled with the beautiful, hand-painted designs on her ceramics. I bought three pieces! Check out her on Instagram to order if she’s not at the Linden Market when you visit.

Helen Bean

Another staple at Linden Market is Helen Bean. I think I’ve bought something every single Linden Market, either as a gift or for myself. Helen and her daughter conjure up beautiful pottery pieces.

Bryanston Market

Peter Mthombeni— We have a colorful (and growing) collection of cereal bowls made by Peter. We also have two pasta bowls and I’m eying a large salad bowl for my next purchase. Plus, Peter has so many great stories.

Infinite Design— Bheki makes African-centric designs. Think large mugs with animals, fun salt and pepper shakers, and cool wine holders! I would deff spring for a wine holder for a fun holiday gift. I bought my brother and one of my best friends 3D animal mugs with their favorite animal. These mugs cost around R450 but they are so worth it. I’ve also requested a custom mug from Bheki for Wilhelm’s birthday; you can request via Instagram and it’ll probably take 3-5 weeks to make.

Visit the market Thursdays and Saturdays to make your purchases.

Rosebank Sunday Market

Lisa Hojem—I’m obsessed with everything Linda makes. She makes funky, contemporary ceramics like mugs, bowls, plates, candleholders, and the like. We have 4 mugs (all with different designs) and 2 pasta bowls made by Linda. I’ve also sent pics of her work to friends back in the US because I want to buy them Linda’s pieces! Linda is usually at the Sunday Market but you can also contact her at lindahojem@gmail.com for info.

Fabric Stuff

“Stuff” isn’t really the right word for all this, but these shops integrate cool fabrics into their products.

Shwe Bags

Shwe makes practical bags made from traditional 3 Cats Shwe Shwe. The wine, beer, and lunch coolers are really unique! I bought a large cooler bag for Wilhelm as a birthday gift one year that we use to take on our picnics and on road trips when we need to keep our braai items cool. The lining in the cooler bags is really great and it’s easy to clean spills. Plus, it keeps our items cool for around 4 hours (…as long as our ice pack survives).

The bags run between R150 to R300.

You can buy online or from several stockists around South Africa, my favorite of which is their location at Victoria Yards.

Aranda Factory Shop

Established in 1953, Aranda Textile Mills is the oldest blanket manufacturer in South Africa. Aranda makes quality blankets, throws, and most importantly Basotho heritage blankets. Basotho heritage blankets are designed with the “blessing of the Lesotho Royal Family.” Motifs of corn, shields, and spears are the most common. You can use them as a throw. Although it’s summer you can still give a unique gift of a Basotho blanket. Typical pricing is around R1,500.

Order online or visit the shop that is 30 min outside of Joburg.

Mungo

Mungo merges contemporary textile design with traditional weaving methods. The towels, throws, and blankets are really unique! We bought linen towels for ourselves and for Wilhelm’s mom last year for Christmas. The color combinations of the towels are beautiful. Towels are around R700 to R1000.

Visit the Mungo shop in 44 Stanley or shop online.

Fabiana Hoy Kimonos

Fabiana integrates Peruvian and South African influences to make beautiful kimonos that are definitely a statement pieces. Kimonos are perfect for dressing up just about anything. The athleisure lovers in your life can upgrade their wardrobe thanks to you as they throw on one of Fabiana’s kimonos over leggings and walk out the door in style. Fashionistas will be happy to turn heads in the kimonos’ bright patterns.

Check out her Instagram page to scroll through the designs and make a purchase. Kimonos are around R1800. Be sure to follow Fabiana (like I do!) on insta for her giveaways and promotions.

Nanya Couture SA

I haven’t shopped here yet but I follow every single fabric drop on Instagram. The service looks great for in-store shopping or online delivery. This fabric shop is located in Pretoria but Gauteng delivery seems fast according to customer reviews. There are traditional African fabric prints usually sold in 5-6 meter packages for R300-R500. I definitely plan to buy some unique fabric from here for my own sewing projects (once I make my way through the collection I have…).

The Space

The Space is a collection of clothing and accessories from South African designers. Prices are moderate and when they have a sale, item prices drop considerably! I’ve purchased some of my favorite dresses from there and I’ve bought my mom a dress from The Space for a present. There are several shops around Joburg in Rosebank, Mall of Africa, and Cresta Mall.

Gal Pal Accessories

Asatsi

The Asatsi clutch bags are a super unique gift option. The bags are completely beaded and come in a variety of patterns and colors. Check them out. These bags cost around R1500 depending on the pattern. My brother bought me the green zebra bag when we visited the Egg shop in Rosebank Mall as part of my pre-wedding shopping. And Wilhelm bought me a lovely scarf for my birthday one year!

Ilun

di

Buy a handmade, hand-painted bag from Ilundi. I purchased a small wallet from their shop in Cape Town for R250. These are great to throw into a tiny purse and to just carry around a couple of cards. You can also shop online.

Dr. Pachanga

Dr. Pachanga sells clothes and purses. I think the purses are really unique and would make a great gift option. They use African fabrics and a cool flap design that will definitely turn heads. You can shop at their storefront in the Zone/Rosebank or order online. They also ship internationally. I took my mom and aunt to the shops in Cape Town and in Joburg. They bought about 7 purses between the two of them! Wilhelm bought me one for my birthday too!

Food, Coffee, and Tea

Food… Okay, basically Chocolate

The Refillery is my favorite foodstuffs shop in Joburg. It’s a plastic-free shop for snacks, dry goods, beauty, and cleaning products. I live right next to the location in Linden so I run over for every small thing. The Refillery has a great gifting section of plastic-free items as well as the Coffee and Chocolate Gift Box (R195). My friend gifted the box to Wilhelm for his birthday and it was a hit! You can also make your own gift box by purchasing some nuts, chocolates, and snacks to gift in glass jars.

Coffee

My family usually brings back coffee beans as gifts whenever they are traveling and so I find that I often do the same. There aren’t any South African coffee beans, however, you can get South African coffee connoisseur roasts! Many coffee roasters source from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Brazil. Sometimes, you can get hard-to-find beans from Burundi and Zambia.

Green Bean Coffee

Green Bean Coffee roasts coffee on-site at Casalinfa Farms, just outside Joburg. They also have super fast delivery within Joburg and we usually get our orders the next day. We purchase in bulk from Green Bean and grind our coffee fresh. I love the medium roasts. 250g of coffee is just R95. This is probably the best size for a gift. Otherwise, if you know that your gift receiver loves a specific kind of coffee, then you can purchase the 1kg option for R359 (this is what we order on the regular).

Bean There Coffee

Bean There sources fair-trade coffee from around the world. They offer some interesting gift pack options which include coffee beans and coffee paraphilia (like pour-overs, tumblers, a Chemex…). However, you can also purchase their beans, which run between for R90 for250g and R360 for 1kg.

Tea

I did find a South African green tea once at Magoebaskloof Farmstall & Cafe near Tzaneen, but I’ve never seen it again. Do buy some if you’re up there, it was really good!

Specialiteas

Specialiteas has the best range of tea I’ve found in South Africa for high-quality, loose leaf tea. I only ever buy from them. They have green, white, and black teas along with some herbal blends. They don’t have a physical store, but online orders usually just take 2 days to arrive in Johannesburg. This shop stopped operating the last time I check in Feb 2023. Will remove if it shuts down for sure…

Swimsuits & Shorts

It’s summer in the southern hemisphere so swimsuits are a perfect gift. If you’re not sure of sizing, buy a gift card.

Shweshwekini

Shweshwekini uses traditional Shweshwe patterns to create amazing men’s and women’s swimming wear. Women’s sets can run around R1500 and men’s shorts are around R1000, but look out for sales when the prices can drop!

I’m planning to get the long-top swim set for myself!

Breazies

Breazies has super fun swim short patterns for men. They have recently expanded to women’s one-pieces as well. They have so many pattern options to choose from like llamas, pineapples, sloths, crabs, toucans… You can also purchase his-and-hers matching swim sets!

Men’s shorts are R745 and women’s one-pieces are R795. There is free shipping over R500 and you may get a pop-up for 10% off your purchase when you first get on the page. I’ve also seen some patterns in shops around Joburg and but you can check out their stockists near you here.

I bought my brother fun shorts with tucans on them for xmas one year. Here he is modeling them in Muizenberg!

Granadilla Swim

Granadilla also has fun short patterns for guys. They’ve expanded to some women’s suits but not all the fun patterns are there yet. They have South African-esque prints like those of Clifton Beach, the South African flag, penguins… You can’t go wrong! I bought my brother-in-law the peguin shorts!

Shorts are around R800 and there is free shipping over R1000.

Books & Planners

In her Honour Planner

Purchase a Money Planner, Wellness Planner, or Weekly Power Planner to help someone keep track of their goals with In Her Honour. I bought the Power Planner for myself. I love it because it is un-dated (so you can buy it any time of the year). The planners are the brainchild of Joburger, Joyce! Planners are around R300 and can be ordered online.

Books

Books like Hidden Johannesburg (coffee table book), Joburg Noir (short stories about Joburg), and literally any coffee table book about William Kentridge are excellent gifts. I own all three! One of my friends purchased the Hidden Johannesburg book for me and Wilhelm as a “welcome to the city.” The David Krut Bookstore has a great selection of Kentridge as well as other artists, and even some artwork.

Home Goods

Modern Gesture

Modern Gesture is a Cape Town-based artist specializing in wooden lamps and decorations. Her style is so creative, using mixed mediums like wood, wax cord, string, and metals to create unique pieces. I bought this lamp from Modern Gesture when we first moved to South Africa, but it’s really the Woven Necklace Lamps that are among the most stunning pieces.

Metal Birds from street sellers

If you have a garden, you may want one or two of the cutest little metal bird sculptures. I bought one for my mom and aunt over Christmas and sent it back with my sister. There are hummingbirds, woodpeckers, birds with wings, and those without… they are really sweet and are around R100 per item.  One of the biggest collections of these metal birds (and other animals) is outside this garden shop in Parktown North. I’ve also purchased some at Bryanston Market.

Forever Florals

I happened upon Forever Florals by chance literally two days before our wedding. Our wedding venue tagged a picture, with someone who had tagged a picture, with someone else who tagged a picture…. and I was led to Forever Florals! The lovely Vanessa at Forever Florals presses and composes florals from special occasions into frames. Whether you’re attending a wedding, birthday, baby shower, birthday, or just got a great bouquet you think someone special may want to preserve, get in touch with Vanessa. Sending the flowers (post net to post net) was very easy. I literally went the day after our wedding. The instructions are easy to follow and some months later when the flowers are all dried (yes it takes time!!), you’ll receive framed special flowers.

These flowers were from my wedding bouquet, which were the same flowers used for all our floral decor.

This is the A3-sized frame with the radius design. I love it! It’s only lying on the couch here because I can’t decide where to put it up yet…

Updated: March 2023