I know what you're thinking. We literally just had Christmas so there is no way we could possibly be thinking about gifting now. I know it seems kind of  early but not quite. I mean think about it, with valentine's day in a few weeks and birthdays on the brink, I want you to have a great start to an amazing gifting year!

Nothing says you're appreciated and valued more than a well thought-out and personalized gift. However, the gift picking process is a daunting and often stressful one and takes finessing and a lot of creativity to find something special for the many different occasions we have.

Whether family, friends, colleague or corporate clients, these pro tips we are sharing with you apply and with practice, you'll be a natural! So the team and I have put together five (5) tips to memorable gifting to start you off the #wildlysaucy way!. 

1. Get to know the receiver

If there's one thing known to be true is that when we show genuine interest in the people we meet, value or share space with, they are more than likely to share their lives with us. This is your opportunity to get to know them over a lunch, coffee date. Ask them about their fondest childhood memories, goals and dreams, hobbies, if they have a wish list. You'd be pleasantly surprised just how candid people can get when you genuine show interest in them. This is your opportunity to use this moment to listen for the subtle and not so subtle items on their wish list. It also helps you select appropriate gifts given the information they provide.

You'd be pleasantly surprised just how candid people can get when you genuine show interest in them.

2. Get personal with it

The possibilities of what you can pick out are endless. By giving them the chance to share their wish list with you, you would have allowed them to tell you indirectly what they would appreciate receiving and that helps makes for a smoother and less stressful gifting process. People value how we make them feel so approach everyone personally. Some people may have shared their love for mama's home cooking or self care moments in the bath/shower whilst others will share their wanderlust with you and so a great gift option for this receiver would be something nostalgic like a personalized hand stitched journal they could fill up with recipes they love or natural organic soaps and a luxe candle for the latter.

People value how we make them feel so approach everyone personally.

3. Be Unique, gift the unexpected

Everyone loves to receive gifts, but what's even more exciting is receiving one that no one else has! So the perfect way to gifting something exclusive is to go bespoke. This takes a little more creativity and perhaps opens you up to a whole new world of gift provider options. One way to seek out something unique is to find gift stores that offer a customization service like an engraved message on a cutting/serving board, a handcrafted luxe greeting card or a leather bag branded with the initials of the receiver. 

For corporate gifting it is important to keep in mind first impressions last and if you want people to respect your company, brand or organization, avoid sending promotional gifts or those that do not align with their core values. Needless to say, the best way to ensure that they respect and value your business relationship whilst maintaining a good reputation is by going premium with personalized gifts. 

4. Go the Sustainable and Ethical way

If there ever was any indication that the global climate has been altered it would be the lack of constant rain from October 24 in the Savannah. So even as you think about what to gift, also bare in mind how sustainably is made and packaged. One way is to see gifts like that is to source artisanal stores and marketplaces and what's better is that they provide great options for customization! In addition artisanal gifts are more personal than commercial ones as they share the history of the skills of generations passed, present and future.

What this means therefore is that whatever you choose to gift, not only is it personal but it is also ethically and sustainably build the livelihoods of the maker.

5. Time is of the Essence

The easiest way to let the gifting process take over, is to not time it wisely, start sooner rather than later. This is if not the most important tip in my opinion because it pretty much sets the tone for how swiftly your gifting goes. It is never too early to get started and plus this gives you the freedom to seek the information from the receiver or about them from people that have a good sense of what their personality is like. It allows you to plan and set a budget, explore your options on stores to visit, pricing and customization as well as determine lead times. This is especially true for corporate receivers as the value of the gifts to be sent out can be of greater value since you'd be sending out multiple gifts at a given time. People can sus out a rushed gift so plan accordingly.

Best way to stand out is to deliver your gift much early than everyone else. You'll stand out more and set the tone for the season. This is why its so important to know your receiver, get personal, be unique and plan for the season.

People can sus out a rushed gift so plan accordingly. Best way to stand out is to deliver your gift much early than everyone else. You'll stand out more and set the tone for the season.

Why you should choose to gift Saucy Mukosa this year

Well made and thought out gift is something all of us can appreciate. In the 8 months that we've set up and run our store, we have been honoured to work with individuals, families and companies of various sizes seeking to send the people they value some beautifully and handcrafted artisanal gifts. In our most recent season we were honoured to gift Zambia's first family with our naturally infused raw and organic honey, chocolate cashew butter and our highly anticipated 'Rooted Inongo' earthenware cooking pot from our new range of open fire pots.

Owing to this and our understanding of the needs of all our clients, we strive to create high quality products made with you and our planet in mind. See more of our corporate gifts in our catalogue here, with customization and pricing options.