In December, Africa beckons with her soul-warming embrace. Temperatures are blissful, the wildlife-watching is excellent, and it’s one of the best times to visit the continent (more about that here). But if you can’t jet off to warmer, animal-filled climes, bring a bit of safari cheer to the festive season anyway with our cherry-picked African Christmas gift guide, perfect for safari-going loved ones – and for those me-to-me spoilings!
1. Watamu Turtle Pouch: Elizabeth Scarlett x the London Chatter
Add a philanthropic edge to your Christmas list with designer Elizabeth Elsey and blogger Kelly Eastwood’s Watamu Turtle Pouch. 100% of sales (really) from the intricately beaded purses go to Local Ocean Trust, a not-for-profit organisation committed to the protection of Kenya’s marine environment. Something pretty for your handbag, and a chance to contribute to the protection of Kenya’s sea turtles? Marvellous.
Get your pouch here
2. Azimai’s handmade soaps and candles
Africa is home to some memorable scents and smells, from aromatic wild thyme floating on the breeze, to seductive frangipani and cassia lingering in the bush. The clever ladies behind Azimai, based in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, have incorporated them into a selection of 100% natural, hand-made soap and candles. And they don’t just smell great either; each one is jam-packed with African botanicals and delicious essentials oils from all over the continent, to leave you with moisturised hands and the sweetest-smelling home.
Buy Azimai’s products here
3. Patrick Mavros’ pangolin jewellery
Something that sparkles and does good? Say hello to jewellery-maverick Patrick Mavros’ new pangolin designs. The collection is a collaboration with the Tikki Hywood Trust in Zimbabwe to help save the pangolin, the world’s most trafficked animal. From artichoke-inspired rings to cascading-scale necklaces, each piece is designed around the strange beauty of the tiny animals, and 10% of all sales go straight to the Trust. Go on, spoil yourself…
Get your pangolin-inspired gifts here
4. Save a rhino with Save the Rhino Trust
If gifts aren’t really your thing (or you’re just feeling extra, festively generous), how about spending some pennies on saving a rhino? £3 provides a first aid kit for a field ranger, £10 pays for veterinary treatment for a rhino, and £25 can help pay the salary of an environmental education teacher. If we don’t start paying attention to the plight of these majestic beasts, they might not be with us for much longer and what better time to begin than Christmas.
Donate to Save the Rhino here
5. Give the gift of GoPro
Every safari aficionado loves a good photo, be it a simple iPhone snap or a glossy, long-lensed number. This year, it’s time to try the GoPro. Small enough to fit in a pocket on a walking safari, they produce super-high quality pics, distinctive fish-eye shots, and have a top-notch video function. They’re also rugged and hardy enough to withstand a few hours bumping around in a 4×4, and all manner of African climates. Could this be the safari camera that has it all?
Start your GoPro adventures here
6. Tribal Textiles hand-painted fabrics
Jazz up the Christmas lunch table with Tribal Textiles’ unique, hand-painted fabrics. From napkins to tablemats, cushion covers to curtains, each piece is inspired by Zambia’s enchanting landscapes, and drawn and painted by local men and women, providing jobs in a place where employment is scarce. It might be snowing outside but the brightly-coloured pieces will take you back to Africa faster than you can say, ‘Pass the Brussel sprouts.’
Shop Tribal Textiles here
7. Hickman & Bousfield safari clothes
What better way to please the safari-lover in your life than with a khaki-coloured something for their next expedition? And especially if it’s from chic safari outfitters, Hickman and Bousfield… Choose from buttery-soft cashmere, exquisite felt fedoras, and bright and breezy linen, all guaranteed to make them the talk of the campfire.
Shop for safari clothing here
8. Adopt a penguin
It’s true, there really are penguins in Africa! Adopt a penguin chick with SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) and help look after the chicks that have been abandoned by their parent birds. Your donation will help cover the cost of food for the chick, medication and specialised care from the staff, and you’ll also receive an ‘adoption’ certificate from your baby bird. Now, not many people can say they got a penguin for Christmas, that’s for sure!
Adopt a chick here
