South Africa is a delightful place for shoppers. You can find anything from precious stones to elephant dung paper. Pictured above is a gift we received when we left the country. It is a pretty head of a rhino set upon a map of South Africa. It is one of the more impressive gifts that comes from the Zulu nation. On your right is one of the wonderful chess sets available there. This one is wood carved and pictures colorful Zulu pieces. The pieces and the board are hand made and make a very pleasant souvenir. There are also chess sets carved in stone or molded in metal. My grandson purchased a hand painted ostrich egg that is beautiful.
There are upbeat gift stores all through the country. There are native booths at almost every tourist spot. Some of the locations have a whole building dedicated to the crafts that are available. Ties, shirts, jackets, and other items of clothing are available in many of the shops. Almost every mall has a special store featuring touristy items.
Our mall in Richards Bay had a kiosk with handcrafted pottery where bowls, tea sets, and many other novelty items were available. Bringing these kind of gifts added a lot of weight to our baggage, but they made wonderful gifts. The Zulus make great baskets that can be used for a wonderful variety of things.
When it comes to gifts for friends and souvenirs to take home, it is not the time to get cheap. Take advantage of the bargains and bring home some memories that will enrich your life for years to come.
