We never realised what a huge difference it could make to shop local, but it was clear and still is, that lots of small businesses were not only surviving but thriving even during alert level 5.
South Africans stood together and bought homemade masks, ordered milk and fresh veggies from a local farm and shopped at the small grocery store they used to just pop into for cigarettes or bread.
We have definitely made a conscious effort to support a few local produce suppliers, clothing companies and certainly wine estates that we would not necessarily have done in our ‘normal’ busy lives. We were also at home for a change to accept orders which really made things even more convenient.
Here are some of the companies we have been supporting:
Fresh produce
Due to the fact that we wanted to minimise our time in shops, we thought it best to order our fresh produce for home delivery and why not support some local companies while at it?!
Dirla homestead
With a wide range of dairy products – they were our first choice for fresh cheese, milk and yoghurt. Their mozzarella knots worked wonders for our homemade pizzas. You can also find them at the Hazel food market and Boeremark on Saturdays.
Pekincheep
Huge farm fresh eggs, chicken and butter are some of their main products, they also have great monthly offers so be sure to have a look on their website or facebook page.
Coffee, pastries and local groceries
Spout Coffee
Spout coffee has always been a favourite of ours and during lockdown level 5 and 4 we supported them by purchasing coffee beans and freshly made pastries which they delivered to our door.
They are operational again at present and by the looks of how busy it is, doing better than ever and we cannot be happier to see this.
The Corner Shop
Gavin must be the original Local in Pretoria as I am sure everyone knows him or have heard of him. He has made countless cups of coffees before our early morning city walks at 012 Central.
His shop in Waterkloof heights has now been expanded and you can buy a few grocery items as well as the usual pastries and coffees. There are some great finds and the prices are very reasonable, be sure to support him. He also hosts rides from his shop on Friday mornings at 07:30am.
Apparel
Me&B
Me & B is a local store Nadja discovered during lockdown and they have the most interesting and beautiful prints. The clothes are handmade in South Africa (Cape Town) and are reasonably priced. The packaging is so pretty you almost do not want to open it up.
Adore Couture
Something caught my eye, was it a glitter mask? Nadja is a sucker for something glittery and thus she ordered lovely masks from Adore Couture. They are made from silk, so soft on your skin and makes any lockdown outfit look instantaneously chic. A range of other products are also on offer from their store including adorable pooch pj’s.
Local artists
Considering we are home much more than ever before, we splurged and supported some local artists who were offering work directly to support themselves.
Louis Minnaar is a proud Pretorian and with a body of work ranging from graphic design, movies and music. We found a spot for his portrait nr 8 right next to our fireplace.
Strijdom van der Merwe, is famous for incorporating found objects into massive scale land art projects. He made domestic scaled pieces available during lockdown and we figured our Oom Paul piece by Alessio La Ruffa could do with some contemporary company.
When people stand together, not literally of course, we can and will make a difference within our communities and most importantly in our country.
Changing habits is possible and is the only way we will all make it out of this alive and semi-sane.
