13 Jul Local Faith-Driven Businesses to Support

As a digital strategist and CRM for a leading digital agency, I have the honour of working with more than 60 brands both locally and internationally and have sadly seen the devastating effects of how everyone has been impacted by Covid-19. For some, this has meant that they have been left with no choice but to close their businesses down, while others are struggling to keep a roof over their heads, and food on the table. Having personally been down that road before and now seeing it first-hand through my clients, I believe strongly that if we can, we should support local and small businesses who are depending on sales to keep their families fed and safe.

Of course, Covid-19 hasn’t just impacted businesses – it’s completely depleted the economy and left thousands without jobs, so for many, it’s a nearly impossible thought to splurge on non-essentials. If this is the case for you, there are other ways you can support small businesses. Here are ways I have chosen to support small businesses, without always buying from them:

• Volunteering by offering my digital marketing services to businesses that I feel could benefit from my experience and knowledge in the industry and helping them reach new audiences.
• Liking, engaging and sharing the social media posts and pages of small businesses that I love – this helps expand their reach and grow their network organically which doesn’t cost me or them a thing in advertising.
• Signing up for their mailers so that I receive future communications so that when I do have the money, I am reminded to support them.
• Leaving a testimonial or review on the social and Google pages of brands that I have previously used and experienced, that way encouraging and affirming to others that if they can, they should choose to support those brands too.

Over the last few weeks, I have been keeping an eye out for local faith-driven businesses, that I felt you may be interested in supporting. Whether through a like or comment on their social pages, or purchasing their fabulous products, I hope that this post will encourage you to support small local businesses in any way you can.

Celindy’s Crafts

As someone who loves bible journalling (but is admittedly useless at it), I was ecstatic to see the launch of Celindy’s Crafts – an online store for all your bible journaling needs. I love that the owner has taken her passion and experience in Bible Journalling and has launched a store with all the supplies and stationery you could ever need. If, however, you feel overwhelmed by all the wonderful options, she’s also put together the most convenient little kits with everything you need to get started! Her Facebook page is a wealth of knowledge with lots of tips and unboxings. She’s also very quick to reply to questions and her service is amazing! Besides being an all-round great small-business, she keeps her prices affordable and is constantly using her platform to uplift and share other pages and businesses within the community,

Support by shopping online and liking their Facebook page.

Good Shepherd Toys

One of my absolute favourite faith-driven brands to follow is Good Shepherd Toys. I have been following them for the longest time and am so crazy about everything they do and stand for! The brand originally designed and created bespoke wooden toys and decor for baby nurseries but following the success of their sold-out nativity sets, they rebranded to Good Shepherd Toys and went on to develop a range of beautiful wooden toys all themed around the Bible. Each item is hand-crafted and painted – making every single item, truly unique! I am a sucker for wooden toys because they’re timeless and are built to last! But more than that, having two boys of my own, I know just how much more they absorb and take in from stories, when they can play, reenact and see the story unfold in their hands, so love that Good Shepherd Toys encourages children to learn through play.

Support by shopping online and liking their Facebook page.

Lady Rose

Lady Rose is a Christian Magazine and home to some of the most amazing writers. I have been reading their magazine for the last 2-years and love just how in-depth each article is, not to mention the great lengths they go to create and print beautiful, quality magazines. I find that I am not always in the mood to make my way through my ever-growing list of books and sometimes just want to page through a magazine with a cup of coffee, while dinner is in the oven or the kids are in the bath, so really like that I can connect and learn more about how God is moving through other’s lives with thanks to Lady Rose. They recently launched a beauty range, which I have not yet to tried (you guys know just how much I love beauty products!) and they have a wonderful and affordable subscription-based service, which I have just signed up for so that I can conveniently receive their latest issue straight to my door.

Support by shopping online and liking their Facebook page.

BeLight

With everyone staying at home a lot more lately, leggings and cute t-shirts have become my go-to. I recently stumbled upon BeLight who offer beautiful Christian statement shirts, gifts and apparel that feature lovely designs. I placed an order on the Friday and was surprised to receive my order on the Monday – the owner, Elmarie, was only too happy to accommodate my request to have it shipped directly to my house via Aramex and was incredibly friendly and happy to answer my questions. Their range is really so wonderfully designed, their shirts are super soft (sizing is from S-XXXL) and you will soon be looking for any excuse to buy from them.

Support by shopping from and liking their Facebook page.

The Bible Activity Box

If you’ve got kiddos and are looking for new ways to teach them about God, The newly launched Bible Activity Box is a great subscription-based product themed around different Bible stories, tailored to suit children between the ages of 2-10 years old. The activity boxes are well-priced, are available in English and Afrikaans, and come at a time where a lot of our children are stuck at home, and repeating “I am bored” over and over again, so why not use this time to creatively explore the bible with age-appropriate activities and crafts that keep them busy and help them understand the stories and lessons from the bible. This business is still new and finding its feet, but I am excited to see them grow from strength to strength and continue bringing stories to little hands all over South Africa!

Support by shopping online and liking their Facebook page.

And that wraps up some of my favourite local small businesses! I hope you’ve been introduced to your new favourite brand and will be inspired to shop and support local, wherever you can. These are just a handful of businesses out there, so if you are a business or know of a business that deserves a spot on this list, comment with your business name, what product/service you offer and where we can find you online.

Megan Kelly Botha

I’m a coffee-wielding mood reader and romance book collector who may or may not have a slight addiction to buying books. I read a variety of sub-genres within romance, including rom-coms, dark romance, and fantasy. I love sharing my thoughts on books, whether it’s through book reviews, quotes, or recommendations inspired by my current reads. Through my romance book blog, Literary Inspired, I aim to provide in-depth book reviews, curated reading recommendations, and exclusive author promotions. I’m passionate about supporting indie authors and sharing my latest book discoveries with others. When I’m not reading, you can find me cheering on my favorite football team and F1 drivers, crafting, baking with my kids or playing with my pets.

literaryinspired.com/