The Gift Gallery: an immersive celebration of African lifestyle brands

Joburgers will admit that on the outdoor retail front we’ve drawn the short straw, but 44 Stanley in Milpark is delivering some great new retail destinations.

The Gift Gallery is the new offering on the block, promising a showcase of “African design and lifestyle brands”. The store is a partnership between Path Nomad and sustainable African luxury platform, WhatWeCherish.

The respective owners of Path Nomad and WhatWeCherish, Matsela Moshokoa and Melaney Oldenhof, say The Gift Gallery is meant to be, “an immersive celebration of African lifestyle brands.”

Knowing where to go to get the perfect gift for someone is often a challenge, knowing that there is a cute curated space with items sourced from across the continent is a definite win. The reference to cute relates to the size of the boutique space, a compact 8m², but it boasts a treasure trove of experiences in every corner, waiting to be discovered, where high quality design objects, from iconic classics such as Dathonga Designs (Mozambique) to contemporary innovations by emerging designers like SA brand Oneofeach.

The Gift Gallery space hosts a number of brands from beauty to fashion, “a collective extravaganza,” as Moshokoa and Oldenhof call it. They say this space is more than a store, it’s a must-visit destination for discerning shoppers and culture enthusiasts.

The design gift store hosts some of our favourites and soon-to-be favourites from across the continent and at a range of price points too. From a beauty perspective you can get your Prickly Pear oil from Suki-Suki Naturals on the shelves here, right next to decadent black soap and delicious shea butter lip balms from Ghanaian brand, Nokware.

We’ve seen the beautiful beading of The Herd’s storied jewellery pieces and they’ve collaborated with Anoqui to tailor make some extra special pieces at The Gift Gallery.

Inland was established in 2020 by artists Brett Rubin and Io Makandal, and they specialise in the fabrication and sourcing of art glass, unique mirrors, earthenware and ceramics. Their wares are available to gift to yourself or others. Lulasclan is also another brand in store that says their pieces invoke a feeling of celebrating culture and preserving heritage through functional design.

If you’re on the lookout for little investment pieces or spoils for yourself and others, the brands at The Gift Gallery represent some of the best of creative and innovative products that inspire, empower, and enrich the lives of their customers (and makers).

The Gift Gallery is situated inside the Path Nomad space at 44 Stanley Avenue, Johannesburg. It is open every day except for Mondays.