An easy gift guide for the festive season

From wine to chocolate, South Africans are spoilt for choice this Christmas when it comes to sending friends and relatives gifts.

With South Africa being among the leading countries in the gift business, the global gifting market is estimated at $475 billion, with a research report by Qwikcilver estimating that India is expected to emerge as one of the most influential contributors by 2024.

Experts maintain that the key in giving someone a gift is to ensure that they get gifts they like, leaving a lasting impression.

There is no doubt that unwrapping any gift leads to excitement, shared with those nearby: a feeling of delight and surprise that comes with getting to know what is in the package.

While gift expert Odette Butcher finds it perfect to fulfil everyone’s bucket list with daring adventurous outdoor experiences, a new trend, according to Matilda and Charles executive Lesego Motala, is the mystery box, “to surprise loved ones”.

Matilda and Charles are a Johannesburg-based gift company, that has taken the country by storm in the online gift business.

Picture: iStock

Matilda and Charles have created the ideal box gift idea for anyone, called the Mystery Excitement – which Motala describes as “creating an intrigue because you have no idea of what you are about to receive – a typical lucky packet”.

“What makes this different to the conventional gifts people give to each other is the concept of the surprise or mystery behind it,” said Motala.

“The fact that you have no idea what is coming your way makes it really exciting and adventurous to the person on the receiving end of the gift.”

The advantage in online gifting, maintained Motala, was that “you do not need to go to shops and be worried about delivery”.

Each box has a minimum of one or more items. You can purchase a mystery box on www.mymysterybox.co.za for R500 a box.

Inside every 300 prepacked boxes, there is an iPhone 11 pro. In other boxes you could also get AirPods and Samsung Galaxy products.

Picture: iStock

If you don’t want to gamble on a mystery, here’s some other gift ideas:

Kids

Forget playing with dolls or action figures, let the young ones become the character with face paints!

Dala Face Paints is a great SA company with a multitude of paint sets for little faces. At PNA you can get the Princess, Metallic and Neon sets to transform little people into big characters.

Dala Princess Face Paint.

Young adults

An Uber Eats voucher is the perfect gift for students or adults that just started working. They don’t need a car or even their walking shoes to eat what they want.

With innovative features such as tracking every step of your order, you can ensure that the correct meal reaches the correct destination.

While delivery with Uber Eats is door-to-door, there will be cases when you will need to call or message your courier directly through the app to provide more information on your location.

Uber Eats.

Adults

Krone’s range of four 2018 Cap Classiques offers something for everyone, enchanting any palate whether your preferred bubbly is taut and lean, refreshing and fruit forward, plush and expansive, crisp and dry or rich and voluminous with a touch of sweetness.

It’s Christmas (or even New Year) in a bottle (and less coming in at less than R200).

The range includes Krone Borealis Vintage Cuvee Brut 2018 and Rose Cuvee Brut 2018 for lovers of a dry wine.

If you like it sweet Krone Vintage Night Nectar Demi-Sec 2018 and Night Nectar Demi-Sec Rose 2018 is the perfect stocking stuffer.

Krone Cap Classiques.

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