Pack Light, Shop Local: Our Favourite South African Brands

 And if you’re travelling with Swedish kronor, shopping in South Africa can be particularly appealing. The exchange rate can give Swedish travellers plenty of bang for their buck, although currency rates naturally fluctuate. So our advice is simple: pack light, leave room in your suitcase and shop local.

Project Dyad

Cape Town-based Project Dyad creates contemporary leather bags and accessories that combine bold design with everyday functionality. Its products are handcrafted in Cape Town and designed to become even more beautiful with age.

This is exactly the kind of South African purchase we love: beautifully made, practical and something you’ll genuinely want to use long after your holiday is over.

Kingsley Heath

Kingsley Heath is South African luxury with a distinctly African feel. The brand creates limited-edition clothing and accessories inspired by Africa’s landscapes, wildlife and lifestyle, with a strong emphasis on quality and craftsmanship.

Its stores are worth a visit even if you’re only planning to browse. Though we suspect that’s where the plan might start to unravel.

K-Way

For something practical, K-Way is an obvious choice. This South African outdoor brand excels at jackets, fleeces, activewear and other pieces that work just as well on a chilly Cape Town morning as they do on a weekend in the mountains.

It’s a brand South Africans know well, and a K-Way jacket is a genuinely useful addition to your travel wardrobe.

Old Khaki

Old Khaki is all about relaxed South African style. Think shirts, chinos, jackets, knitwear and other easy-to-wear pieces that suit the country’s laid-back, outdoorsy lifestyle.

It’s the kind of shop where you can find something for a Cape Town lunch, a road trip or an evening around the fireplace without looking as though you’ve tried too hard.

Woodstock Leather

Woodstock Leather captures some of the creative spirit of one of Cape Town’s most interesting neighbourhoods. The focus is on leather goods with an authentic, handcrafted feel, from bags and belts to accessories that only get better with time.

If you’re looking for something more personal and genuinely South African than another mass-produced souvenir, this is a good place to start.

Poetry

Poetry is one of those South African brands that makes it dangerously easy to build an entire holiday wardrobe. Its clothing, accessories and homeware have a relaxed, feminine feel, with plenty of linen, texture, colour and natural influences.

It’s particularly good for pieces that work just as beautifully while exploring the city as they do over a long lunch or an evening by the coast.

Sitting Pretty

Sitting Pretty is a Cape Town-based fashion brand focused on relaxed elegance and timeless design. The brand works extensively with natural fabrics and creates pieces intended to be worn again and again rather than chase the next fast-fashion trend.

Expect beautiful materials, flattering silhouettes and that seemingly effortless style that’s actually much harder to achieve than it looks.

GOOD Clothing

Founded in Cape Town in 2008, GOOD Clothing has become known for comfortable, feminine clothing with plenty of personality. The brand combines easy-to-wear silhouettes with beautiful fabrics, playful prints and collaborations with local artists.

Proudly South African and consciously local, it’s a lovely way to bring home a little piece of Cape Town’s creative scene.

Ballo Eyewear

If you’re buying sunglasses in South Africa, make it a pair from Ballo. Born under the South African sun, the brand creates distinctive eyewear in Cape Town using recycled, repurposed or plant-based materials.

There’s also a lovely idea behind the brand: for every pair sold, Ballo donates a pair of glasses to a schoolchild who needs vision support.

Asha Eleven

Asha Eleven brings a distinctly South African sensibility to contemporary fashion and accessories. Its pieces are feminine, modern and easy to wear, with details that make an outfit feel considered without being overworked.

Look out for its collections when exploring Cape Town’s independent boutiques and local design stores.

Sweet Peas Handmade

Sweet Peas is a South African footwear brand specialising in handmade shoes and sandals, crafted locally with a focus on quality and craftsmanship. The designs have a relaxed feel that suits South Africa’s easy-going lifestyle perfectly.

They’re also wonderfully suitcase-friendly, which brings us right back to our original advice: leave a little room.

 
Pack light. Shop local. And leave South Africa with a suitcase that tells a little more of the story.