Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easter Recipes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Pantry staples
    • Load shedding lifesavers
    • Baking tips and tricks
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Kitchen design and appliances
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easter Recipes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Pantry staples
    • Load shedding lifesavers
    • Baking tips and tricks
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Kitchen design and appliances
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
No Result
View All Result

Why you should consider shopping more locally where you can

Food24
Jess Spiro by Jess Spiro
February 19, 2019
in Food News
0
Why you should consider shopping more locally where you can
0
SHARES
178
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

‘Local is lekker’ is a term so embedded in the average South African’s vocabulary, it’s likely used as often as ‘just now’ or ‘braai’. And while most of us are deeply and proudly South African on so many levels, how many of us show our patriotism with our shopping baskets? 

There have been a few incidents recently where big corporates have ‘borrowed’ the ideas of small, independent businesses, which has had devastating results. And the saddest part of all is those of us who have the means to shop consciously, just aren’t, despite how easy it is to keep things local. So, we’re sticking up for some of the small guys, by showing you just how easy it is to show your South African pride when shopping. 

Why it matters

You show your support when South Africa is involved in any sporting event, right? You boldly claim Elon Musk, Charlize Theron and Trevor Noah as a fellow citizen, then why aren’t you doing the same with where you spend your money? Even if you did the most basic form of economics at school, you’ll understand why supporting local industry is a big deal to, well, local industry.

Essentially, spending your money with small, local businesses ensures that more of that money stays within the community. It’s estimated that when you shop with a small, independent business, nearly 60% of that money stays within the community, whereas only about 40% of that money stays local when shopping at a large retailer.

olive oil

Small South African businesses are the biggest employers of local job seekers, so your money goes to growing a business that increases job creation. These local businesses also use South African suppliers, thus your money allows more money to be spent at another local business. Overall, this improves the economy as more entrepreneurs are inspired to start their own businesses, and so the cycle continues.

How to do it

We get it, the idea of strolling to the market every Saturday to do a weekly shop, or buying all your clothes from a local seamstress, while romantic and idyllic, is not feasible. People are busy with all-encompassing careers, children and school runs and, just generally living their lives. We’re not asking you to do away with convenience for the sake of a small business owner, but we are asking you to pay the slightest bit more attention to where you are spending your money. This can be as simple as picking up locally-made versions of your regular grocery items while at a large retailer.

For example, we all love hand-harvested sea salt, so why not switch to a local brand? You’re currently drinking only locally-made gins, I assume, so why not pick up a pack of Swaan, Barker and Quin or Symmetry tonic to go with it? Even some of the most banal items can be bought locally, such as pasta, chocolate and breakfast cereals. Or, perhaps, embrace the romance once a month and go off to the market or to your local butcher. The small effort on your part will make the world of difference to that independent retailer, and you might even end up chatting to the business owner. 

Go that bit further

One thing that goes hand-in-hand with shopping locally, is shopping seasonally. It’s no use to anyone if you’re ensuring you pick up local brands where you can if you’re still buying Peruvian asparagus in the dead of Winter. Sticking to the seasons ensures that you’re keeping the local farming industry alive by consuming what they’re producing.

asparagus

If you like the sound of shopping at the market, but can’t spare the time, there are some incredible vegetable box schemes such as Umthunzi and Harvest of Hope, delivered weekly to a nearby collection point. It’s as easy as stopping at the shops on the way home, and it’s also a lot more affordable.

The point I’m making here is not one of shame. It’s more of a call to action to spend more locally when you can. Stop when you’re shopping, pick up the food item, read the back label and take notice of where it’s come from. It’s not to say that you need to boycott big corporates or foreign business, you just need to know what you’re buying and try help where possible.

Jess Spiro is a chef and freelance writer based in Cape Town. 

Tags: Grocery ShoppingSeasonal


Related Posts

gin and tonic
Drinks

This South African gin costs less than R200 and won top honours at the World Gin Awards

March 28, 2023
modern-food-labels-explained
Conscious cooking

Exploring the new lexicon around dietary food choices

March 27, 2023
French vs Swiss vs Italian meringue: A quick guide to marshmallowy goodness
Baking tips and tricks

French vs Swiss vs Italian meringue: A quick guide to marshmallowy goodness

March 23, 2023
Next Post
Spice up your cooking with this Spanish favourite – chorizo

Spice up your cooking with this Spanish favourite - chorizo

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Food24 Team Loves

misomite

Discovering the world of locally made miso with master fermenter James Kuiper

March 23, 2023
Chefs share 8 trade-secrets to making a fantastic milk tart at home

Chefs share 8 trade-secrets to making a fantastic milk tart at home

February 20, 2023
The 4-ingredient dough recipe that changed my life

The 4-ingredient dough recipe that changed my life

February 13, 2023
We predict 2023’s biggest food trends for home cooks

We predict 2023’s biggest food trends for home cooks

February 1, 2023
The Food24 team shares their 2023 kitchen goals

The Food24 team shares their 2023 kitchen goals

February 1, 2023

Recent favourites

  • olives in a bowl

    Quick and speedy pantry hacks: 5 clever things to do with store-bought olives

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • From vetkoek to fynvleis: The new 100+ Flavours report is a deep-dive into SA food culture

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Discovering the world of locally made miso with master fermenter James Kuiper

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • French vs Swiss vs Italian meringue: A quick guide to marshmallowy goodness

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 15 perfect potato side dishes that will upgrade any meal

    32 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get weekly access to our best recipes, tips and tricks

Sign Up
Footer

Quick links

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Win

Collections

  • New Recipes
  • Festive
  • Baking
  • Dessert Recipes
  • Braai Recipes
  • Lunchbox
  • South African Recipes
  • Pasta Recipes

Other links

  • Advertise with Food24
  • Editorial Policy
  • How to Pitch
  • Contact us

Not in the mood to cook?

Visit eatout.co.za to find the perfect restaurant near you.

eatout.co.za

© 2020 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

  • About us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • New Media
IAB
No Result
View All Result
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easter Recipes
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Pantry staples
    • Load shedding lifesavers
    • Baking tips and tricks
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Kitchen design and appliances
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win

© 2019 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms below to register

Subscribe to Newsletter

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Close
Food24
Recipe Disclaimer

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Please read our editorial policy.
Close
Food24
Get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox weekly
Promotional Newsletter

Be the first to receive information about competitions and special offers from Food24 and it's partners.

You have successfully been subscribed!
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Make sure you have completed all required fields.
I don't want to see this again