If you want to give someone a meaningful gift that they can make use of at their leisure, consider one of these great ideas below. They also have a convenience factor as they can be sent electronically, so they make great last-minute gifts, too!
Give…the miracle of life to an orphaned elephant
Adopt an orphaned elephant through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, who run the Orphans’ Project, the first and most successful elephant orphan rescue and rehabilitation programme in the world. The Adopt an Orphan project allows you to adopt and help an orphaned elephant yourself, or to give as a gift. For US$50 a year, you’ll be offering life and hope to an animal in need. Go to sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and choose an elephant orphan, like little Naleu, rescued when she was just six months old when her mother died in the Masai Mara, leaving her starving and at the mercy of predators. Your adoption includes monthly updates on your orphan, special access to Keepers’ Diaries and a personalised adoption certificate.
Give…dinner for a month
Whether it’s for someone who’s spending long hours at their desk, or for a friend lacking in the cooking skills department, they’ll value the hassle being taken out of dinner. Sign them up to UCOOK, who delivers meal kits (ingredients and recipes) for yummy sounding dinners you make yourself, like Crunchy Crumbed Pork Taco, or delicious ready-made suppers. Daily Dish cuts down on shopping time by delivering a weekly refrigerated box with perfectly-portioned, quality ingredients for up to four recipes, selected from five different menu options. Hungry yet? See dailydish.co.za for more.
Give…dads and lads a treat
Man Crate has the perfect gift for, well… any kind of man. With offerings to suit the outdoorsy camper, the metrosexual male, or the beer drinking or golf playing dad, Man Crate offers a variety of gifts, packed in a sturdy wooden crate and delivered to his door – see mancrate.co.za. For men who love good style but hate shopping, Crate|ov Clothes is a convenient online styling service. A selection of clothes chosen by professional stylists is delivered, to be tried on in the convenience of his home with free delivery and seven days to try items on. Check out crateovclothes.com for more information. If the man you’re buying for is a wine lover, Wine of the Month sends a monthly box with six different wines chosen by an expert panel, along with food pairing and tasting notes.
Give…a bit of health
Anyone who enjoys healthy food will be delighted to get a regular box of organic fruit and vegetables delivered to their doorstep. The Munching Mongoose services Joburgers with fresh, seasonal fruit and veg, milk and eggs, while The Veg Box covers KZN, and Wild Organics provides Capetonians with high-quality, organically farmed produce. For a friend that loves healthy snacks, Proper Snacks has subscription boxes packed with mixed nuts and dried fruits, or even healthy nut bars.
Give…some time off
Know someone who’s had a rough year and really needs a day off? Gift them the help of a cleaning service courtesy of SweepSouth, who has a database of pre-vetted, reliable and efficient helpers on their books. They now also have gardeners, handymen and painters on-hand all easily made available at the touch of a button via their online app.
Give…the gift of caffeine
We all have that one friend who is a tea connoisseur or a coffee fanatic. Spoil them with Tealyst, who sends out a range of carefully curated local and imported teas in a beautifully packaged box – they’re quite creative with their blends, a few favourites available are Chocolatey Lemon Rooibos, Moroccan Mint Black or Exotic Mango Fruit tea! Follow tealyst.com for more. For coffee lovers, Bean Box Club is brilliant. Visit their website to see how seriously they take their Java. They send out a different coffee every month to their subscriber base and cater to the recipient’s individual tastebuds with variants which include: drip, espresso, Turkish, pour-over, cold brew and even cowboy.
Give…the gift of the outdoors
By signing someone up to the Botanical Society of South Africa, you gift them free access to all SANBI National Botanical Gardens across the country, where many a leisurely day can be spent wandering around. These include Kirstenbosch, Walter Sisulu, Pretoria and Harold Porter, among others. It also affords the holder to be a part of a like-minded community of local branches nationwide offering family-friendly educational events, talks and nature walks.
Give…treats for furry friends
Whether you’re sending a gift to a cat or dog lover, Boxie has you covered, with their creative boxes containing fun toys and healthy treats that will amuse owners as much as their pets. Pawsome has great doggie gifts too, with themed boxes that have toys, treats and fun goodies inside. My Pet Box has a range of specially curated options, such as grooming boxes, playtime boxes or boxes specifically suited to new puppies or kittens, with a portion of sales going to charity.
Give…a lady something special
Fashionista friends will love you for signing them up to The Box Fashion, a stylish seasonal accessory membership service which delivers beautifully curated pieces. Little Black Bag offers hand-picked themed monthly bags with full-sized new beauty, food and fashion product finds, while Beauty Squad sends out a box with a minimum of five products catered to the make-up and beauty fan.
Have fun choosing one of the above, then go online and send a gift with just a click of the button!
