SA Rocks

Something that has severely upset me over the years (yes, severely) is the lack of options for men everywhere. In fashion, grooming, shopping centers and general stores it’s all female-orientated.

Well, Mantality is different. It’s one for the guys. In a time when online stores are popping up all over the show its refreshing for me to see one targeted to the men in the audience.

The genre of products available is mightily impressive: Face, Hair, Health, Sex, Stuff, Gifts, Scents and many more. They allow for a wide variety of choice for the suave online male shopper.

I know this sounds like an advert for Mantality but I am just so blimming excited that there is a male-orientated store that I can’t help it. This SA initiative makes me proud and makes me happy. I am not being sexist when I say that I found a place online that I could call a shopping haven.

From the Mantality about section:

Mantality.co.za is the only place online where today’s South African man can get everything he could ever need and more. From men’s skin care and grooming products, to health and sport supplements, to fragrances and hair care products – whatever you’re after Mantality.co.za is there for you.

The idea for Mantality came about as a result of there being little to no shops (let alone online stores) dedicated purely to the more modern, style, health and image conscious man of South Africa. Most of the time South African male shoppers needed to buy their amenities from online stores in the UK, US and abroad. This proves to be not only expensive (as you are eligible for import duties upon arrival) but also quite a hassle – because you shouldn’t have to wait, approx 20 working days, for a package that may or may not actually arrive.

Because I am so excited about Mantality I had to contact the founder, James Mew and see what I could organise for all the SA Rocks male readers (Don’t worry ladies I’ve got something in the pipeline for you too)!

All you have to do is answer this simple question (the answer can be found at Mantality):

When ordering from Mantality.co.za, how long can one expect for their order to be delivered?

c) 10-15 working days

Simply email me: editor@sarocks.co.za or James: james@Mantality.co.za or drop your comment below with an email address and your answer!

This is what the prize looks like:

And this is what it consists of:

American Crew Fibre 100ml

Opti-Men Multi vitamin 90’s

To the value of R1095!

The competition will run for two weeks on SA Rocks so leave your comments pronto!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Today I’d like to tell you about the wonderful Jesse Breytenbach from Cape Town. She is an extremely talented illustrator and maker of handmade things. Her label is known as Jezze. Again, I’ve asked her a few questions so that you can get to know her a little better.

• What exactly are you making and selling?

I’m primarily an illustrator, so I make and sell items that I’ve applied my illustrations to. I carve designs from linoleum blocks and print them on to fabric, which I then either sell for other people to sew with, or sew up myself into notebook covers, bags, cushion covers, storage baskets, and brooches and buttons. I’ve also had my designs silk screened so that I can apply them to ceramics, and I sell teacups, mugs and bowls.

• How did you get into selling handmade things?

I’ve always made things, and I started blogging around the time Etsy started up. It was the perfect place to start selling, as I didn’t need to have large amounts of stock, and could be flexible with the products I make. I can also be in direct contact with buyers, who often find me via my blog, or start reading my blog after buying from me, and I really enjoy getting to know the buyers and staying in touch with them.

Getting positive feedback to ideas I presented on my blog gave me confidence to start selling them. Everything in my shop is handmade by me, which wouldn’t have been sustainable if I’d started off trying to get wholesale orders. Selling online allows me the freedom to do very limited runs of products, and really test something before I start producing it in quantity.

• Where do you get your ideas and inspiration for your products?

I tend to make things that I need or would use, so I look at my own life and my friends for inspiration. I also thoroughly enjoy messing around with printing and paints and fabric, and often the materials I use suggest ideas to explore.

Jezze products are available online through Etsy. A reader commented on my previous post, saying that it’s disappointing that the South African sellers on Etsy cannot quote prices in rands. This is a very valid point. I’ve been in contact with the sellers who say that you can email them (addresses can be seen in their shops) to ask for a quote in rands.

Jezze will be offering some printed Christmas gift tags and ornaments in her shop this week, so please do go have a look!

Popularity: 6% [?]

My next couple of posts are not going to be about specific South African online shops, but more about local (fabulous) designers who sell their handmade products through various online channels.

The first young lady I’d like to tell you about is the owner of The Wren Design. She’s based in Cape Town, sells her goods through Etsy and Dawanda, and blogs about all her experiences and thoughts regarding her business.

I sent through a few questions to Wendren, and here’s what she had to say:

• What exactly are you making and selling?

I make bags: handbags, totes, cute little bird purses/pouches, sling bags, market bags ….
My most recent style is the Organic Coffee Sling Bag which is made from found, old and unwanted jute coffee sacks that have been worn wonderfully soft. They are lined with organic hemp canvas for stability and a lasered wooden button closes them. They are 100% organic (no zips, no frills… a simple, beautiful and perfect bag).

Three things happened at the same time which has lead me to be where I am today: 1. I was not enjoying my desk job as a Textile Designer. 2. I was shown how to blog by a friend and wanted to give it a try. 3. I was searching for a new bag and could not find one I liked so I decided to try and make one. My bag was a hit and I decided to take the plunge: resign to make bags to sell online and market the journey through my blog. Now, 8 months later, that is what I am still doing and I am loving it.

All over the place really. Nature and my environment is a huge inspiration for me and as much as I can, I try and include sustainable aspects into all my products. For example, most of the fabrics used are from the ends of fabric rolls. Usually this is thrown away because although the quality is in no way inferior, the quantity is limited. The little bird pouches are made from the scraps of the Big Town Bags and the scraps from the Bird Pouches are made into selvage cosmetic bags. Basically waste is minimized as far as possible.

The Wren is another business which not only takes the environment into consideration, but is trying to create jobs too. Wendren is helping to create employment by using unemployed ladies from her local community to sew for her. We at Babazeka love this (and the Wren products) so much, that we’ll hopefully be stocking some in our shop soon.

For now, though, if you’re interested in purchasing some beautiful Wren Bags as Christmas gifts, you can go shopping here and here. Have fun!

Popularity: 4% [?]

Ed’s note: This is the first in a series of posts that Sarah of Babazeka fame, will be publishing on SA Rocks. This series is surely going to help many people decide on how to get their holiday shopping done this year!

I (the owner of Babazeka.com) have been asked to host a series of posts about online shopping in South Africa. You’ll be hearing about our own shop, no doubt, but first I want to chat about some of the others who are doing wonders in the South African e-commerce world. I’m not going to talk about the big guys like Kalahari, Woolworths and Netflorist, as it’s the little guys who are slogging away that I feel deserve the mention.

The first business I’d like to tell you about is Faithful to Nature. They’re an online shop which sells organic and natural cosmetics, detergents, baby products and more recently, food. The owners, Robyn and Chris, are extremely passionate about increasing South African consumers’ awareness of our effect on the earth, and so they not only sell green products, but offer huge amounts of advice on all things related to living a more eco-friendly life. They’ve also recently launched an online Eco Directory.

Their products are not only good for the environment and our bodies, but many of their suppliers have a social conscience too (which, of course, we at Babazeka are very pleased about). Businesses such as Eco Products and Esse do a lot to uplift their surrounding communities by providing jobs and following fair trade principles.

So, why not consider all-round guilt free shopping this Christmas by buying your gifts from Faithful to Nature. There are some fabulous options for both him and her. Take a look at their massage oils, bath salts, organic make-up, jams, relishes, teas and coffees. Then, there are foot scrubs, moisturizers and aftershaves. Plus a whole heap of gift hampers too.

Consider going green this Christmas by supporting Faithful to Nature. The fact that they recently won Best Health and Beauty Store 2008 is true testament to their excellent service and their fabulous product range. Enjoy!

Popularity: 3% [?]

SA’s online shopping industry is growing at a rapid pace. So much so that I have lost track of where to go, what’s hot and what’s not.

I found a great post at southafrica.info and thought that I would share it and expand on it a bit!

So here we go:

Online shopping malls

Mweb Shopping Zone
Everything you’d expect to find in a shopping mall, all online.

Digital Mall
Stocking more than 1 000 products across 12 online stores, Digital Mall was one of South Africa’s first online retailers.

Bid or Buy
BorB is more of an online marketplace than shopping mall but it is reputable and has a wide selection of things that you could find at a steal!

Games, DVD’s, Gadgets, Music and more

Digital Planet
Is a good store to look at for an overall range of products.

Take Two
Great resource for gaming specifically.

eDreams
eDreams is a great looking, great feeling site with fantastic delivery service. Not sure about nation wide delivery but I know that delivery in Gauteng is great.

Buy 1
I haven’t personally tried this one but it’s new on the block and worth a mention I think. Time will tell if it will stand up to tested competitors.

Groceries

Pick n Pay
Look past the new logo and you have a great resource to save you some time.

Woolworths
Offering more than simply groceries, one can browse almost the entire list of Woolworths products for purchase!

iPods

iGear
Got an iPod? No? Well iGear is the place for you. Whether you are looking for an iPod or “gear” for the iPod of your choice then this site is perfect. All iPod all the time, always, get it?

Books, music, DVDs

Kalahari
Selling everything from books, CDs and DVDs to movie tickets and electronic equipment, Kalahari is one of South Africa’s biggest and most successful online retailers.

Exclusive Books
The online shop of one of South Africa’s biggest bookselling chains.

Loot
Loot have expanded their range to include CDs and DVDs, as well as a full range of discounted books.

Look and Listen
The online version of the CD chain, Look & Listen’s online store is open 24/7.

Musica
Selling CDs, DVDs and mp3 downloads, Musica has more than 50 000 titles to choose from.

Flowers

Surprisingly there are many online shops that handle flower related purchases and delivery. Have a look:

Netflorist

Flowers.co.za

Just Flowers

Simply Flowers

Flowers Delivered

Shopping Search

Jump Shopping
Jump Shopping is apparently South Africa’s biggest online shopping search engine.

General Mention

One Shop

Online Shopping

Small startups doing big things

Babazeka
This recent startup (this week) is going to do some great things in my opinion. A fresh, helpful, innovative, charitable way to look at online shopping the SA way. Read their blog for more info.

Cherripicka
For lazy gift givers, wannabe critics or people in search of new things to try out, Cherrypicka is part virtual shop, part blog site that allows you to buy test tickets to try out the showcased brands, and then share the review of your experience with the rest of us.

Yuppiechef
We believe that life is too short to flip an egg with just any run-of-the-mill spatula. We search the world of kitchen tools to bring the very finest culinary assets to your South African doorstep.

There are, ofcourse, many more sites that offer sales and delivery services in SA. I honestly couldn’t take the time to find them all. If you have a site that has just started out, do me a favour and add it to this list!

Some of the information in this post was found at southafrica.info.

Popularity: 5% [?]