Your guide to green gifting in Cape Town

The shops are awash in tinselled green and red festive splendour and you’re busy drafting your Christmas gift list.  

Perhaps this year you are wondering about choosing Christmas presents that are gentler on Mother Nature.

If you want a greener Christmas this year, Cape Town is full of sustainable shops, eco-markets, and online gift options that are beautiful, light on planet resources and will give lots of festive joy to your loved ones.

ICYMI: Shopping Trends 2025: How South Africans are shopping this festive season

Pampering the person and the planet

If your mom or sister needs some TLC this Christmas, consider wrapping up an earth-friendly self-care kit, such as Holisteeq’s Zero-Waste Minimalist Self-Care Essentials Gift Set, for some guilt-free, luxurious pampering moments.

This low-waste gift set is packed with goodies that pamper while protecting the planet. Think bamboo toothbrushes, exfoliating washcloths, mini shampoos, facial cleansers, and body butters in travel tins. It’s the small things that make a big difference.

Alternatively, splash out on the ocean-inspired luxury Healing Ocean gift set, a self-care bundle with a marine theme, containing: body wash, body soother, a mist, foam bath and bath oils, all wrapped up in sustainable packaging. Their products are free from synthetic fragrances, colourants, petrochemicals, DEA, preservatives, and parabens, making them good for you and the planet. 

Sweets for the stocking

Sweeten up your loved ones’ festive season with a Honey Heart Gift Box, which contains a jar of pure, raw honey with a honey dipper, to spread the sweetness around,  along with beeswax lip balm and a hand-poured beeswax candle that will light up Christmas Eve. This gift comes in a heart-shaped box, which can be engraved with a customised message.  

If you’re looking for local, earth-friendly snacks, try Nude Foods in Zonnebloem. It’s Cape Town’s original zero-waste grocery store and a treasure trove for eco-conscious, delectable finds, such as vegan mango chocolate, the intriguingly named ‘Heart bliss ball with sceletium’ and salted caramel bars.

Green growing gifts

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now," this famous proverb says it best. If you are looking for a Christmas gift that’s as thoughtful as it is eco-friendly, a tree sapling is the perfect choice, one that will continue to bring joy every year as it grows.

Cape Town is situated in the Cape Floral Kingdom, a haven of fynbos plants, so a gift of a fynbos plant (from the Kirstenbosch Garden Centre or Dr Boomslang Indigenous Nursery in Retreat) will bring nature right back into the home. Fynbos is low-maintenance, water-wise, and native to Cape Town, and it’s therefore literally a gift that will make your Christmas greener. 

For the foodie who doesn't have access to a garden, a compact herb garden kit with organic seeds, compostable pots, and cute planters is a wonderful gift that will keep on giving and can even be used to flavour next year’s Christmas lunch dishes! 

Adventures in nature

Gift memories, rather than buying more stuff. Give a voucher for a Christmas outdoor experience. Cape Town has so much to offer to nature-lovers, such as a kayaking tour to explore the oceanic delights around the Mother City. Alternatively, they say a change is as good as a holiday.

Shake up a loved one’s daily routine by gifting a voucher for a Cape Town staycation for a couple of nights at eco-conscious accommodation. 

Options include the Hotel Verde Airport, which has won awards for its carbon-neutral and sustainable practices, and the four-star Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, a certified Fair Trade Tourism property and a Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards winner.

If you want to be closer to nature, the 4 Cyphia Close cabins (pods) based in Hout Bay offer a unique experience, with restored biodiversity, an eco pool and an earth-friendly philosophy. 

The bling

Bring on the eco-friendly bling. Dear Rae, based in Woodstock, is a jewellery shop which creates sparkly pieces using locally sourced materials and recycled gold. Their packaging is eco-friendly and their business is BEE and women-led.  Who says glamour can’t come with a conscience?

Janine Binneman also transforms cherished heirlooms into fresh, contemporary pieces and handcrafts meaningful jewellery designed to last a lifetime. With thoughtful sourcing and timeless design, her creations are a planet-friendly treasure.

The cleverly-named So shell Jewellery is a company in Cape Town that describes its sparklies as “Made to last, made by hand, made with less”.  They craft their jewellery with the soft golden, white, and cream tones of abalone shell, which is ethically sourced through certified aquaculture partners in the Cape. So shell Jewellery combines 9ct gold, responsibly sourced silver, abalone shell, and ethically sourced gemstones in their gorgeous Cape Town creations. 

Glowing with goodness

Light up someone’s life with non-toxic, eco-friendly candles. Non-toxic candles made from soy, coconut, or beeswax, often infused with essential oils, are the perfect gift for a favourite teacher or that friend who helped you so much this year.

You can find candles at the Conscious Lifestyle Collective at Neighbourgoods Market or Rekindle Candle Co. in Woodstock, which offers biodegradable packaging and cotton wicks. They also offer indulgent yet eco-conscious self-care items, including bath and body products and candle refills.

Clothes for the eco-conscious

Slow fashion is trending. As society becomes more aware of the fashion industry’s high use of water resources and the pollution caused by textile chemical dyes, more consumers are asking for sustainability for their wardrobes.

Cloth made from hemp, linen, bamboo, organic cotton, or upcycled garments is a lovely way to wrap your body with sustainable fabrics while treading softly on nature. 

For local treasures, check out the South Market in Constantia (8–22 December) or browse designer wear online at the Conscious Collective Lifestyle or Earth Apparel.

Chic boutique for the green-freak!

Artisan Food & Zero-Waste Gourmet Gifts 

Gourmet goodness makes a perfect Christmas gift for friends or to take to the in-laws for Christmas dinner.

Hunt for sustainable foodie gifts, such as olive oil, spices, sourdough, and jams, from local markets like South Market in Constantia or the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, which offers a wide selection of fresh produce and deli delights that make for beautiful, thoughtful gifts.  

It is open on Saturdays. There is also a seasonal Wednesday Night Market - but will also be open on the night of December 21st (5 pm – 9 pm) and on Friday, December 23rd, and Saturday, December 24th (9 am to 2 pm). 

• Saturday: 8:15 am – 2:00 pm
• Sunday: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Wednesday Night Market (Nov-Mar): 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm 

Create delicious, earth-friendly Christmas meals with the organic, locally grown produce from small, independent producers, like free-range eggs, ethically sourced meat, and local honey. Many vendors offer goods that are both ethically produced and minimise environmental impact, such as plastic-free fruits and vegetables.

ICYMI: Super Mini-Market launches in the Mother City - Next event 29 November, 2025   

Hosted at the Flour Market, the Super Mini-Market spotlights 20 bespoke vendors, each offering creative, one-of-a-kind designs, plus tasty bites, good coffee, and an ice-cold beer.

If there’s nothing that takes your fancy in this list, you can hunt for sustainable gifts at the many Cape Town markets, which are a treasure trove of eco-friendly finds.

•  Edgemead Community Centre from November 29th to December 24th for the Edgemead Christmas Market, which hosts a wide variety of exhibitors and handmade crafts.  
• Savvy Sisters Christmas Market in Diep River on November 29th is another great opportunity to look for hand-crafted gifts.

This festive season, giving doesn’t have to cost the Earth. Cape Town is brimming with thoughtful, planet-friendly gift options. Whether you’re buying jewellery or soap, trees or honey, your choices can support local makers, ethical brands, and a greener future.

So go ahead - have yourself a very green Christmas, this year.  

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