We love spending a few quiet moments browsing the shelves of charity shops we find on our travels; they always have a treasure or two at affordable prices.
South Africa (20 January 2023) – Many charities fund themselves by having a charity shop on the premises which sells second-hand items and sometimes even new items. These little shops are treasure troves filled with hidden gems and secret finds at prices that would make your purse stay flush!
Charity shops are a great asset to society because they offer a resource to find affordable alternatives while giving back. They are a great option for people who have stepped away from fast fashion retailers and need a good source of clothing to shop. Bookworms who cannot afford the newest books can purchase bags full from a charity shop.
These options are even more in demand today with the economy being as it is. So we decided to make a list of all the charity shops we could find. Like all of our charity lists before, if we missed any, please do reach out to be added to the list. Please email tyler@goodthingsguy.com, and we will add it soonest; kindly supply the relevant links as well as which province they work in.
Most Cheshire Homes, Hospice, SPCA and Salvation Army franchises will have a charity shop on the premises so if you know of one close to home, call to double-check.
Before we start the list, please take a moment to read what the benefit of a charity shop is and what to remember if you are making a donation to the shop, or making a purchase.
Benefits of Charity Shops:
- You have a place to send your unwanted (useable, clean) goods. Spring cleaning now has a meaningful purpose.
- Charity shops often have very affordable hidden gems whether it be older books, vintage clothing or useful household tools. Expensive ‘vintage’ shops thrift these places and add markups to the items.
- Contributions to the shop go back to the cause it supports so buy something or donate something to make a difference.
- You get to see first hand, the charity you support as shops are usually on the same premises.
- Your items find new homes instead of going to the dump. Yay for the environment.
- Volunteers run the shops, and supporting them gives people who sometimes can’t work a purpose.
- They are also a great place to go recycle, most charity locations will have paper and glass bins to help them raise extra funds.
- Ask the people who work there if you are looking for something in particular, they may have something in the storeroom or are able to keep an eye out for you.
Things to remember about shopping or donating:
- Always donate things in working order, like puzzles with all the pieces or appliances that work properly. It is unfair to discard your useless stuff at a charity that is desperate for funds – it costs them to have your junk removed!
- Books, good clothing and bric-a-brac are always a safe bet to donate, call ahead for other things to check if there is space.
- Double-check the sizing of clothing before you buy them and don’t be afraid to try them on.
- On that note, wash all clothing you buy from a charity shop. Before making your donations, wash the items you send in. Not all of them have the facilities or budget to wash items beforehand.
- Anything can be DIY’d so go with an open mind and go often so you don’t miss a thing.
- Forget the idea of glamour, get down and dirty finding the hidden treasures.
- Put things back where you found them.
- Take your own shopping bags.
Note: Some shops are not open full-time, you will need to confirm opening hours personally to avoid unnecessary trips.
South African Charity Shops
Eastern Cape
- Aurora SA Charity Shop – Gqeberha
- Assisi SPCA Charity Shop – Jeffrey’s Bay
- Bargain Box – Gqeberha
- Cleary Cheshire Home Charity Shop – Gqeberha
- Grahamstown SPCA Charity Shop – Grahamstown
- Nazareth House – Gqeberha
- St Bernard’s Hospice Charity Shop – East London
- Uitenhage SPCA Charity Shop – Uitenhage
Free State
- Hospice Bloemfontein Charity Shop – Bloemfontein
- Cluny Animal Trust Community Shop – Kgubetswana, Clarens
Gauteng
- Ann Harding Cheshire Home Charity Shop – Randburg
- Beanies for Beings Charity Shop – Northriding
- Boksburg SPCA Charity Shop – Boksburg
- Chic Mamas Do Care – Linden
- Forest Farm Centre Charity Shop – Bryanston
- Hidden Treasures – Waterglen, Pretoria East
- Hospice East Rand – (They have 11 shops spread throughout the East Rand)
- HospiceWits – Orange Grove, Parkmore and Kensington
- Jozi South Charity Shop – Mondeor
- Kids Haven Charity Shop – Benoni
- Little Eden Society Charity Shop – Edenvale
- Lynette Nicholson’s Kitty Rescue Support Shop – Fairland
- Nazareth House – Johannesburg
- REEA Charity Book Shop – Craighall Park
- SAINTS Animal Charity Shop – Northriding
- Sungardens Hospice Charity Shop – Pretoria East
- Tails and Whiskers Charity Shop – Edenvale
- TOC H Charity Shop – Parktown North
- Tshwane SPCA Charity Shop – Centurion and Waltoo
- Vincent’s Charity Shop – Blairgowrie (no links available)
- Woodrock Animal Rescue has a charity shop but it doesn’t have a stand-alone page – Centurion
Kwazulu-Natal
- Animal Anti-Cruelty League – Hammarsdale
- Charity HOP Shop – Glenwood
- Chic Mamas Do Care – Westville
- Durban SPCA Charity Shop – Durban
- Highway Hospice Charity Shop – Pinetown
- Kloof and Highway SPCA Charity Shop – (They have several shops onsite and Reading Rooster and a Thrift shop in Hillcrest and in Kloof)
- Mooi River & District SPCA Shop – Mooi River (They also have a book shop at The Wine Cellar in Rosetta)
- Nazareth House – Durban
- Preloved Hospice Shop – Howick, Hilton and Nottingham Road
- Queensburgh Cheshire Home Charity Shop – Queensburgh
- Social Cause Agency Charity Shop – Pinetown
- The Broom Closet Charity Shoppe – Durban North
- The Khethokuhle Charity Shop – Bothas Hill
- Woza Moya and the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust Charity Shop – Hillcrest
Limpopo
- ChoiCe Trust Charity Shop – Tzaneen
Mpumalanga
- Nelspruit Hospice – Mbombela
- Nelspruit SPCA Charity Shop – Mbombela (At the SPCA building)
- No Fleas Market – Nelspruit SPCA – The Village Shopping Centre
- Ons Winkel Nelspruit – Mbombela
- White River SPCA has a charity shop but it doesn’t have a stand-alone page – White River
North West
- Hospice Charity Shop – Rustenburg and Protea Park
Western Cape
- Cape of Good Hope SPCA Charity Shop – Plumsted and Grassy Park
- Chic Mamas Do Care – Hout Bay and Wynberg
- Fallen Angels Charity Shop – Table View
- Helderberg Hospice Shops – Strand and Somerset West
- Help the Rural Child Shops – (They have 7 shops spread throughout Cape Town)
- Home of Hope has a charity shop but it doesn’t have a stand-alone page – Table View
- KAWS Charity Shop – Kleinmond
- Nazareth House – Cape Town
- Oasis Association – Claremont, Elsies River, Fish Hoek and Lavender Hill
- PDSA – SA – Athlone
- Riebeek Animal Welfare – Riebeek-Kasteel, Swartland
- St Luke’s Hospice Shops – (They have 11 shops spread throughout Cape Town)
- Swellendam SPCA Charity Shop – Swellendam
by 