Perfect gifts for any occasion

From birthdays and baby showers to bachelor parties, Capetonians are always looking for a reason to celebrate. Take the time to show the people you love just how much you care with a personalised gift or greeting card. And don’t worry about circling the entire mall looking for the right gift shop, because we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites just for you.

A  gift store like Cardies has had a long-standing relationship with South Africans, and has seen nothing but success for one very good reason: they understand what it takes to nurture positive connections.

They have been around long enough to justify their status as a trusted brand. We all know and love them for their range of affordable gifts that are great for any type of celebration. Treat your friends and loved ones to a personalised mug, decorate their parties with occasional balloons, or even prepare them for winter with a pair of slippers.

CNA is another retailer that is well-established in  Cape Town and South Africa alike. While they specialise in goods that are suitable for all ages, it is the perfect store to spoil your children, and even get them excited to start school again with trendy and creative stationery. You can easily encourage your child to keep their academic lives organised and be motivated to do their homework with colourful notebooks, highlighters, and variety packs of pens and colour pencils.

If that’s not what you’re looking for, CNA also includes books, music and movie libraries, toys, cards, and so much more. They make it easy for you to find exactly what you’re looking for without having to go too far. And they’re really affordable too.

For many, the perfect gift isn’t an expensive set of jewellery or a new pair of shoes. In fact, a good book from their wishlist is more than enough to show someone how much you appreciate them. Shopping for books presents only one dilemma: you have to select the right book for the right person.

Exclusive Books is one of the largest retailers of their kind and is guaranteed to have exactly what it is you are looking for. Simply sharing a bit of information about someone's personality is an easy way to decide which book they would enjoy most. And with in-store assistants who love nothing more than to sink their teeth into a good book, they have incredible knowledge of their library and are sure to be able to advise you on an appropriate choice.

They shelve a wide selection of genres such as fiction, non-fiction, children's books, games, diaries, and more. Perhaps you’d even like to add a night light bookmark to your purchase. The recipient of your gift will be grateful not only for the good read but the accompanying light and bookmark too.

Having won SA Bookseller of the Year for several years, Bargain Books is known as yet another leader in the reading material industry. They provide South African bookworms with an extensive range of fiction, self-help, children's books, and more.

If you’re looking for a special book as a gift, you can count on them to have something perfect for your studious loved one. Bargain Books has also established themselves as a leading retailer in Afrikaans books, even having published their very own for children. So, browse their bookshelves at your leisure, explore their selection of genres, and perhaps you could add to your perfect gift with one of their exclusive accessories, which is sure to make any book lover beam with joy.

Perhaps you’re looking to take a local gift overseas, or you’d like to congratulate a friend on the purchase of their brand new home. Malaikah Curios and its sister store, Massai Mara Curios, showcase South African heritage right here in the mother city with an assortment of arts, ornaments, antiques, and home-made creations that we know you’ll adore.

African arts are known for their unique designs and detail that are unlike anything you can find anywhere else. When it comes to hand-crafted arts and creations, South African locals are sure to surprise you with their extraordinary creativity. Just one look at their crafts will leave you wondering how much time and effort went into making these perfect gifts.

Typo is the epitome of the perfect gift shop. Walking into their Canal Walk branch is sure to leave you just as excited as a kid in a candy store. And we can assure you that even though you’re likely to be shopping for someone else, you’re bound to walk out with a few bits and bobs for yourself.

Their selection of goods ranges from home decor, calendars, travel accessories, stationery, and the niftiest gadgets you never knew you needed. Despite being targeted at tweens, teens, and young adults, anybody can enjoy their selection of gifts. Typo has an endless supply of items that are both interesting and likely to be used every day. If you really want to show how much you value someone, then Typo is the place to go.

Finding the perfect gift isn’t easy, and we understand that. Your decisions can say a lot about how well you know a person. You don’t want to be that person whose gift ends up being returned, right? And because there are so many decisions to be made, it’s always comforting to know that there are stores that can help make your decisions for you.