Don't Buy That, Buy This

Try this. Type any form of the following question into Google or your favourite LLM: what are the coolest/best items for a tourist to purchase on a trip to South Africa.

This is the general result: rooibos tea, Amarula Cream liqueur, Shweshwe fabric, Veldskoen shoes, biltong or droëwors, beaded artwork, Zulu pottery, Ndebele-inspired homewares and Springbok rugby merchandise. Now, if you are from South Africa, picture each of those items and the overall design aesthetic as they are generally presented to tourists. Absolutely not knocking, for instance, Zulu pottery, but you, for real, know the kind of items on sale at those OR Tambo shops: Out Of Africa, Made In SA and/or Big Five Duty Free (those are real shop names BTW). How about the Ndebele-inspired homewares, sitting alongside the bead art bangles and bright Afro-print toffee spread. Crikey.

Surely there could be better. Surely there should be better. Is that the best we can present to tourists wanting to part with their foreign currency? A bottle of Amarula Cream is most definitely a sweet treat, and drizzled over vanilla ice-cream is a stone-cold classic South African dessert. But come now.

Fine then, smart-arse, what would you rather recommend?

Glad you asked.

How about a store selling genuinely SA-made, or even at least, SA-designed clothing brands? We've got some really good ones: Burnt, Shelflife, FOM, Thebe Magugu, Fields, Good Good Good, Tshepo, Boyde, Rich Mnisi. Amongst a lot more. A selection of the best, offered as small shop-in-shops, like Dover Street Market, would be a fine display of the creativity offered in our fashion scene.

What about a small gift to take for someone else, to be displayed in their living room in Gothenburg. Perhaps a candle? How about: Melle, Gozdava 1590, Okra, Stokperd or Mylk. Maybe some more things to smell? Go with Tres Nagual, or Apartment.

Instead of only stocking Miracle Balm, what could be purchased for a resident of Seoul, seeing as anything skin-related would need to stand up to Olive Young? We've got some great brands: LeLive, Skoon, Lamelle, Beaut, Environ.

How about bags and jewellery? A gift for the partner/husband/wife. Let's go with: Okapi, Pina, Kirsten Goss, Sealand, Joinery, Pichulik.

For fabrics, go on, sell the Shweshwe, it has its place. But how about also Something Good Studio, Sett and Beat or Mungo. Quilts? Callie.

For the foodies? It's not just biltong. Here are but a few suggestions: Father Coffee, Rosetta Roastery, Babylonstoren, Terre Paisible, Ma Mere.

Pots. Gotta stock some pots. Designer pots. Try: Bumba Souled, Jade Paton.

But if you're really set on beads! Okay, fine, this is amazing: The Herd.

Imagine a tourist store selling this stuff. Like a MoMA design store stocking only South African design in selected small quantities, rotating brands to ensure the best is always represented. Located at OR Tambo and Cape Town International and Skukuza Rest Camp and Huguenot Street in Franschhoek and everywhere we might find a tourist. Add in great shop fittings, warm lighting, a selection of the finest Cape wines, a bottle of the best from Pienaar & Son, and highly trained shop assistants being the ultimate ambassadors for our beautiful country.

There's a gap. Who's going to fill it?