Somebody is hosting Heritage Day this Thursday.
If it is you: hello. Please sit down. Actually, you can't. Somebody needs a plate.
If it is not you, this is for you. Because the host buys the meat, lights the fire, lends out every chair in the house and then washes 43 glasses while everyone else has a lovely nap. And what does the host get?
A bag of ice. Mostly water by 2pm.
We can do better. Here are our braai gift ideas for whoever is hosting, whether it is a proper braai or a long family table at Gogo's. All real, all made in our George workshop, all under R600.
What Is a Good Gift for a Braai Host?
Something they will use at the very next braai. That is the whole answer.
Not a candle that smells like "Tuscan Evening". Not another bottle of wine, because everybody brings a bottle of wine. Something that belongs at the fire, on the table or in the host's hand at the end of a long day.
Here is our very scientific Wild Mongoo host test:
Will they reach for it at the next braai?
YES: winner.
NO: it is going straight to the back of the cupboard, next to the fondue set from 2009.
For Whoever Is on the Tongs
Every braai has one. Let's call him Deon.
Deon does not let anyone else touch the fire. Deon has opinions about coals. Deon's cooking record is, let's say, mostly positive.
Deon needs this apron.
Hardly Anyone Got Sick Apron
R249
"The last time I cooked, hardly anyone got sick." Reassuring? Not remotely. Accurate? Ask the guests. Guaranteed to start a conversation at the fire.
Shop the apronFor the host who takes the tongs slightly more seriously, there is the Manly Apron. It comes with a warning about extreme manliness. We take no responsibility for what happens to the chops.
Keeping the Drinks Cold (Because Thabo Brought the Ice)
Every family has a Thabo. Thabo is in charge of ice. Thabo brings one supermarket packet of it. By 3pm it is a puddle with ambitions.
A proper cooler bag fixes that. And unlike the packet of ice, the host keeps it.
The Protea Cooler Bag is our pick for Heritage Day. Proudly South African flowers on the outside, cold drinks on the inside, a strap so the host can carry it to the next picnic, the beach and every braai after this one.
The Wine Bottle, Upgraded
Here is a little trick.
Everyone arrives with a bottle of wine. You arrive with the bottle already cold, inside a Sailboat Wine Cooler the host gets to keep.
Same bottle. Very different entrance.
Sailboat Wine Cooler
R450
Slide the bottle in, hand the whole thing over, look extremely thoughtful. The host gets a cold bottle today and a wine cooler for every sundowner after that.
Shop the wine coolerSmall Thank-Yous Under R250
Not every host gift needs to be a big production. Some of the best ones fit in one hand.
The Tumbler That Says What the Host Is Thinking
Our favourite host gift this Heritage Day is a gin tumbler with one sentence on it:
"Die beste ding wat jy kan doen is om te rus."
The best thing you can do is rest.
The host has not rested since Tuesday. Hand it over at the end of the day, after the last car has left, and let them take the advice.
Rus Gin Tumbler
R249
Holds a gin, a rooibos or a well-earned glass of whatever is left over. The advice on the side is free.
Shop the tumblerWant something more Heritage Day on the outside? The Protea Gin Tumbler and the SA Map Gin Tumbler are both R249, both proudly local and both a lot less likely to get left behind than a bowl of potato salad. For wearing your heritage rather than drinking out of it, our Africa t-shirts and proudly South African gifts have you covered.
Under R100, Still Very Useful
The Making Memories bottle opener is R75. It lives on the fridge, gets used every single weekend and reminds the caravan-and-camping family that the memories were the point.
Cheap? Yes.
Used at every braai? Also yes.
Which makes it a pretty fabulous little host gift.
And if the host owns a wooden table they actually love, a set of ceramic coasters (R150) will save it from 14 wet glasses and one very sweaty cooler box.
In George? Pop In Before Thursday
If you are anywhere near George, this is the easy bit.
Come to the shop at 124B York Street, George Central, choose your braai gift in person, and walk out with it in a pink bag. No courier, no waiting, no stress.
Ordering Online: Will It Arrive by Heritage Day?
Honest answer: probably not, and we would rather tell you now.
Online orders are usually processed within two working days, and courier delivery then takes around 3 to 9 business days, not counting weekends or public holidays. Order online this week and your gift will most likely land after Thursday.
Which, we would argue, is the best possible time for a host gift.
On Heritage Day the host gets 30 "thank you, it was lovely" messages and a sink full of dishes. A week later, when everyone has forgotten, a parcel arrives. It says thank you, properly.
Nobody thanks the host a week later. Be the one who does.
Quick Answers Before You Head to the Braai
What should I bring to a braai as a guest?
Your own meat, a side or a drink to share, and something for the host if they are feeding a crowd. The first three get eaten. The host gift is the one they keep.
How much should I spend on a host gift?
Anything from R75 to around R550 is plenty. A bottle opener or a tumbler says thank you. A cooler bag says thank you, and please invite us again.
Are these braai gift ideas only for Heritage Day?
Not at all. The aprons, cooler bags and tumblers work for every braai, birthday and long Sunday lunch between now and December.
A Thank-You, Twice Over
The host made room at the table for everyone.
Every piece in this guide was made in our workshop in George by a woman who is earning, learning and building her own future. 100% of our proceeds go straight back into empowering women, through jobs, skills and training.
So one little gift says thank you twice.
Once to the host who fed everyone.
Once to the woman who made it.
Shop Our Braai Gift Ideas
Everything below is made in George and ready to go. Choose one, choose three, or choose the apron and let Deon explain himself.
Happy Heritage Day. Go thank your host. Then offer to dry. 🌸
