Love Local: 5 South African Brands to Support this Festive Season
As South Africa’s national lockdown continues, it’s now more important than ever to support local businesses and seek out products that are home-grown. Luckily, you don’t have to look very far to ‘love local’ so, if you’re looking to spoil yourself or a special person in your life this festive season, then you can’t go wrong with buying from these 5 South African born brands.
Love local kids fashion
Nu Nues [pronounced nooh – noohs] is environmentally friendly, classic baby and toddler wear that is plastic-free and locally made using only fair trade, natural textiles. The full range of Nu Nues baby and toddler wear is made from 100% cotton and memory blankets and décor also form part of the range.
If you’re shopping for a little one this festive season, then you can’t go wrong with a garment from this lovely local brand. The brand reaches customers through both online sales and its physical store space at Rosebank Mall’s SOKO District.
Shop the Nu Nues collection online now or visit Rosebank Mall’s SOKO District to touch and feel the products for yourself.
Love local drinks
Loxtonia has released its award-winning Méthode Traditionelle Cider just in time for the festive season. This delicious sparkling cider range includes the Loxtonia Blush MTC and Loxtonia Brut MTC, both made in the slow, traditional French way of bottle fermentation to create a vibrant sparkle. Stylishly presented in classic sparkling wine bottles, they owe their complexity to bottle ageing for 15 months on the lees.
Loxtonia Blush Méthode Traditionelle Cider (MTC) is an elegant ballerina pink MTC with flavours of bright apple sorbet, strawberry and gently caramelised nuts, enhanced by a buttery brioche character. Graceful and refreshing, it is an excellent alternative to sparkling wine. The ultra-dry Loxtonia Brut is a honey-coloured MTC with flavours of apple brulée, vanilla and roasted plum. Rich and complex, it is deliciously dry and refreshing.
Wow your family and friends with these unique and beautifully presented limited release Loxtonia MTCs this festive season. Crisp and delicious, they are perfect for summer sipping and toasting in the New Year. Loxtonia Brut MTC sells at R235 a bottle while the pink-hued, award-winning Loxtonia Blush MTC is available at R350.
Shop the Loxtonia MTC range online now.
Love local authors
Author and speaker, Nicky Rowbotham is a woman on a mission to help everyday people create an amazing flow of energy that allows them to live their best lives. Nicky’s ethos of how a holistic approach to living can allow every person to live the life they dream of is supported by a variety of proven tools and strategies that she developed over the course of many years. She has made these learnings and knowledge available in various formats, all available from her website. This includes: 7 Steps to Finding Flow, Inspired | Change, and complementary YouTube resources that speak to all the themes touched on in her journals and book.
Nicky’s recently published transformative book, 7 Steps to Finding Flow: Flip the Script on Stress is an informative, transformational and inspiring read that would make the perfect gift for a special person in your life this festive season. Nicky’s latest passion project is the Intentional Life Journal; a workbook that focuses on creating more moments and memories, and experiencing magic in your daily life. This unique journal is aimed at helping you create more intentionality around how you show up, create and experience magic, moments and memories in life rather than stay on autopilot mode, chasing a checklist of doing deeds and being busy. It’s been developed to be intuitive and effortless to use, and fit into a conscious lifestyle with absolute ease.
Shop the collection of resources online here.
Love local innovation
This little innovation is the perfect gift for your daughter or female family and friends! Protect your drinks when out and about with this locally-made solution to drink spiking. Drinkerbell is a drink cover and a silicone re-usable straw that fits snuggly into a pretty scrunchie for your hair or wrist. This nifty accessory was created by Durban-based mother and businesswoman, Peach Piche, after her daughter’s drink was spiked at an upmarket restaurant in November last year. Peach decided to partner up with her daughter, Skyla to see how they could turn the “mess” into a “message” and prevent incidents like this from happening to any other girls or women. Peach is passionate about raising awareness around the prevalence of drink spiking as well as debunking several myths around drink spiking in order to tackle the problem.
The drink cover helps to prevent drink spiking and has a waterproof lining offering further protection. The gadget includes a silicone straw for hygiene and easily transforms into a scrunchie, making it so easy to keep on you at all times, in your hair, on your wrist – no handbag required! To use, simply pop open the press stud on the scrunchie, pull out the attached liquid-resistant drink cover and silicone straw. Feed the straw through the eyelet in the drinks cover, stretch the scrunchie around the base or stem of the glass and place the drinks cover over the rim of the glass. With Drinkerbell, not only is it easy to identify your drink, but it is protected from spiking too.
Drinkerbell is available at R145 each and is available online here.
Love local accessories
If you’re looking for a gift with a personal touch this festive season, then you can’t go wrong with Me.mi Jewellery. The South African born fine jewellery brand specialises in producing a wide range of customisable jewellery including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and charms. Me.mi launched its first online store in 2018, followed by the launch of the first standalone store in Cape Town’s Canal Walk Shopping Center, and recently the brand opened its second store in Sandton City Mall in Johannesburg, offering customers in-store personalisation while you wait. Plus, with an in-store postbox and gift cards activation, consumers can send their personalised gifts anywhere in the world.
Through a process of collaboration and co-creation with clients, Me.mi designs and manufactures pieces that are unique to you. The brand prides itself on a quick turnaround time, crafting complex, personalised and inexhaustible range of designs and pieces quickly, without compromising on quality. These are not just beautiful accessories, but personal stories told in solid gold or sterling silver.
Shop the Me.mi collection online now.