Quick question. What did you get from Secret Santa last year?
Exactly. Nobody remembers.
Every office Secret Santa in South Africa has the same three gifts in it. A candle that smells like "Vanilla Dream". A box of chocolates with the hazelnut ones already missing. And a bath set that has been regifted so many times it has its own passport.
So this year, let's give Secret Santa gifts that are still in use in February. Small. Useful. A little bit cheeky. And made by hand in our George workshop.
The Great January Regift. We Know How It Works.
Here's what happens to most Secret Santa gifts.
December: "Ag, thank you, that's so sweet."
January: into the cupboard.
March: wrapped up again for somebody's birthday, card carefully removed.
Nobody is proud of this. Everybody does it.
So here's our very scientific Wild Mongoo test for Secret Santa gifts:
Would they buy it for themselves on a bad Tuesday?
YES: wrap it.
NO: that's next year's regift. Put it down.
For the Colleague Who Has Officially Run Out of Patience
Every office has one.
Thandi from HR has heard every excuse. The printer ate it. The taxi was late. The dog had a crisis. Thandi has stopped reacting. Thandi just sips her tea and lets the chaos walk past.
Thandi doesn't need a stress ball. Thandi has reached a higher level. Thandi needs this mug.
Nie My Sirkus Mug
R99
A very unbothered monkey on one side, NIE MY SIRKUS NIE on the other. Afrikaans for "not my circus", and the politest way ever invented to say "please take that to somebody else". Fills up with rooibos. Empties out drama.
Shop the mugPrefer them to say it in English? The Don't Mean to be Rude Mug (also R99) has a very fluffy, very unimpressed bird on it. Same energy. Fewer syllables.
For the One Who Has Read Your WhatsApp Seven Times
You know who we mean.
Johan in IT doesn't send a message. Johan drafts a message. Then he un-drafts it. Then he asks three people if "Thanks!" with an exclamation mark sounds too keen.
Johan is going to love this. After he has thought about it for a while.
Let Me Overthink Notebook
R129
A black notebook that says HOLD ON. LET ME OVERTHINK THIS on the front, so nobody has to say it out loud. For meeting notes, to-do lists and the fourth draft of a two-line email. Johan will use every page. Twice.
Shop the notebookFor the Family Draw, Where Uncle Kobus Always Pulls Your Name
The office is only half of it.
Then comes the family Secret Santa on Christmas Day. Twenty-three people. One hat. A R150 limit that Auntie Rose ignores every single year.
And somehow Uncle Kobus pulls your name. Again.
Uncle Kobus has opinions on caravans. He has views on tow bars. He has been talking about Plett 1998 since 1999. This year, he finally gets a gift that agrees with him.
I'd Rather Be Camping Bottle Opener
R75
A steel bottle opener with a little green caravan on it and the words I'D RATHER BE CAMPING. Goes straight onto the braai table, then into the caravan in December. Under R100. Endless Plett stories included, unfortunately.
Shop the openerIs the family dog also in the draw? In some families that is not a joke. Our pet range has bandannas, tags and bowls for the four-legged guest of honour.
Under R100? Easy. No, Really.
Some offices set the limit at R100. Some at R50. One office in Joburg apparently set it at R20 and everybody got a single teabag.
Good news. A small budget doesn't mean a sad gift.
The Allergic to Mornings Coaster is R29. Pop it on Zanele's desk under her 7am coffee. She will feel very seen.
The Soft Serve Sass Phone Grip is R85, covered in pastel ice creams, for the colleague who drops their phone at least twice a day. Usually face down. Usually in the canteen.
Under R100, and still on their desk next December. Which is more than the candle can say.
Want Their Name On It? That's the Ultimate Secret Santa Flex.
Think about it.
Anybody can buy a mug. Only a true Secret Santa knows that Lerato spells it with one R, and that Mariska is not Marisca. Ever.
The Personalised Floral Mug is R99, in pink or green, with their name right across the middle. They will spend the whole party trying to work out who knew them that well.
A little tip from us: the name doesn't go in a box on the website. WhatsApp it to us on 073 442 5344, or email hello@wildmongoo.com, when you order. We'll confirm the spelling and tell you honestly when it will be ready.
For the Name You Have Never Heard Before
It happens to the best of us.
You unfold the paper. You read the name. You have absolutely no idea who that is.
Turns out it is Sibusiso from the Durban branch. You have spoken to him once, on Teams, and his camera was off.
The Wild Mongoo Gift Card arrives by email, instantly, from R100 to R2,500. He chooses what he likes. You look like you knew him all along. Secret kept.
Your Secret Santa Cheat Sheet
In a rush? Here's the short version, sorted by budget.
| Gift | For | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Allergic to Mornings Coaster | The 7am coffee crowd | R29 |
| I'd Rather Be Camping Bottle Opener | Uncle Kobus | R75 |
| Soft Serve Sass Phone Grip | The phone dropper | R85 |
| Nie My Sirkus Mug | The colleague who has seen it all | R99 |
| Personalised Floral Mug | The one whose name you can spell | R99 |
| Let Me Overthink Notebook | The overthinker | R129 |
| Functional Adult Tumbler | The big-budget draw | R249 |
| Wild Mongoo Gift Card | The name you have never heard | R100 to R2,500 |
Please Don't Leave It Until the Morning of the Party
We say this with love.
Most offices draw names in November. Most people buy the gift on the morning of the party. In the garage shop. Next to the firelighters.
Ordering online from George? Lovely. But our courier is very good, not magic. And December is our busiest month of the year.
Today? Perfect.
Early November? Great.
The morning of the year-end party? You may be handing Thandi a printed photo of her mug, with a very sincere speech.
One small thing: anything with a name on it is made for one person only, so it can't be returned or resold. Double-check that spelling. Mariska will.
Your Secret Santa Questions, Answered
What are good Secret Santa gifts under R100 in South Africa?
Something small they will actually use. A funny coaster (R29), a bottle opener (R75), a phone grip (R85) or a mug (R99) all come in under R100 and earn their place on a desk.
What can I get for a Secret Santa limit of R250?
A tumbler with a lid is a lovely top-of-budget gift. Our Functional Adult Tumbler is R249 and goes everywhere with them. Or pair a mug with a coaster and still have change.
What are funny Secret Santa gifts for colleagues?
Funny works best when it is a gentle joke about something everybody recognises, like mornings, meetings or overthinking. Mugs, notebooks and coasters with a cheeky line get a laugh at the party and get used afterwards.
Can I get a personalised Secret Santa gift?
Yes. The Personalised Floral Mug is R99 with their name on it. WhatsApp us on 073 442 5344 or email hello@wildmongoo.com with the name when you order, and give us time to make it before the party.
What should I buy if I don't know the person?
A gift card is the safe bet. The Wild Mongoo Gift Card arrives by email from R100 to R2,500, so you can match your Secret Santa limit exactly and let them choose.
Still shopping for more than one person? Our guide to getting personalised gifts right has a few golden rules worth knowing before you add a name.
The Other Secret Santa
Here's the really good bit.
The whole point of Secret Santa is a gift from someone they don't know.
Every mug, coaster, notebook and bottle opener on this page was made in our George workshop by women who are earning, learning and building a future of their own.
100% of our proceeds go straight back into empowering women. Into jobs, skills, training and opportunities.
So this year, there are two Secret Santas in every parcel.
One is you.
The other one made it.
Made by hand in George. Pulled out of a hat. Still in use next December.
