How Much Do Wedding Favours Cost in South Africa? (2026 Price Guide)

Most South African couples spend between R20 and R80 per guest on wedding favours in 2026, which works out to roughly R2,000 to R8,000 for a 100-guest wedding. Simple sweets and personalised mints can come in under R15 a guest. A perfume bar, a live portrait artist or engraved keepsakes can push past R150 a head. Where you land depends on what the favour is, whether it's personalised, and how many hands it passes through before it reaches the table.

Favours are one of the few wedding costs that are entirely optional, and that's exactly why they deserve a clear number. Left unplanned, they become a last-minute online order with rush delivery and packaging you didn't price in. Planned well, they're a small, personal detail that guests actually take home. This guide covers what favours cost at every level, the extras that sneak in, regional differences, when to order, and the honest ways to spend less.

If you're still setting the overall budget, start with our breakdown of how much a wedding costs in South Africa, then come back here to set the favours line.

How much do wedding favours cost in South Africa?

Here's the short version, in 2026 rands per guest. These are typical prices from South African favour suppliers and online shops, before delivery.

The sweet spot for most couples is a personalised edible at R20 to R35 a guest. It looks considered on the table, it gets eaten rather than left behind, and it keeps the total for 100 guests under R4,000. If you'd rather spend more, put the money into one memorable thing instead of a nicer box for a forgettable one.

What you get at each price point

Under R20 per guest

This is retro sweets, sherbet fizzers, chocolate hearts, bubbles, personalised mints and seed packets. Bought in bulk, a packet of sweets per guest can cost only a few rand, and couples regularly cover 250 guests for well under R2,000. The trick at this level is presentation. A neat kraft bag, a ribbon and a printed tag make R8 of sweets look like a gift, while the same sweets in a plastic packet look like an afterthought. Our guide to chocolate wedding favours has ideas that look more expensive than they are.

R20 to R60 per guest

Most South African favours sit here. Personalised mini jam jars from local suppliers start at around R17 to R20 each before labels, potted succulents in a printed sleeve sit around R20 to R35, and a small bag of good fudge or honeycomb lands at R30 to R40. Drinks miniatures, like a mini Amarula or a small bottle of local wine, start at the top of this band. Favours that double as something else, such as a succulent that's also the place card, give you two items for the price of one. Our pot plant table numbers idea shows how that works.

R60 and up per guest

This is keepsakes and experiences. Personalised candles, engraved coasters, handmade soaps and custom playing cards sit at R60 to R120 each. Above that you're paying for a station or a person rather than a product. A perfume bar, where guests blend their own scent to take home, is popular at Durban and KZN weddings, and Durban suppliers like Perfume Table Favours specialise in them. A live or pre-painted guest portrait from an artist such as Lida La Luna Art sits at the very top, but it's also the favour nobody forgets. At this level, one great favour for each couple or household often makes more sense than one per guest.

What pushes the price of wedding favours up

Personalisation

Your names, date or a monogram on a label usually adds R2 to R8 per item, and more for engraving, embossing or custom printing on the product itself. A design setup fee may apply, especially if you want artwork matched to your wedding invitations.

Packaging

Boxes, organza bags, glass jars, ribbons, tissue and tags can cost as much as what goes inside them. Pre-assembled favours from a supplier cost more than buying the parts, but they save you hours of evenings at the kitchen table.

Alcohol

Miniature bottles of spirits or wine are among the most loved favours and the most expensive per guest. Check your venue's policy too, since some charge corkage on any alcohol brought in, even if it's sealed and meant for taking home.

Quantity and minimums

Many suppliers have a minimum order, often 30 to 50 units, and the per-item price drops sharply at 100 or 200. A small wedding of 40 guests may pay more per favour than a large one.

Perishability

Fresh biscuits, macarons and cake pops have to be made in the last few days before the wedding, which limits who can make them and adds delivery costs. Sealed and shelf-stable favours give you more choice and more room to shop around.

The costs that sit outside the price tag

The per-item price is rarely the whole story. Budget another 10% to 25% on top for the following.

• Delivery: courier delivery for a favour order usually costs R100 to R300, and rushed or refrigerated delivery more.
• Extras: order 5% to 10% more than your guest count to cover breakages, late additions and the vendors' table.
• Display: a favour table with signage, crates or a hired stand can add R300 to R1,500 if your décor team supplies it. Our guide to wedding décor costs covers how stylists price extras like this.
• Placing them: some venues charge a small fee for staff to set a favour at every place, or expect you to arrange it.
• Your time: DIY favours are cheaper in cash but can take a few evenings for 100 guests. Count that honestly in the final month.

Favours guests actually take home

The honest truth about favours is that many end up left on the table. Guests take what they'll eat, drink, use or plant, and they leave what clutters a cupboard. Personalised trinkets with your names and date on them are the most likely to be forgotten, however pretty they look in photographs. Our piece on what wedding favours are really for makes the same point.

The favours that work best in South Africa tend to be local and useful. Mini jars of jam or honey, rooibos tea blends, a small packet of biltong, a mini Amarula, a succulent for the garden, or a seed packet that grows into something. Edible favours handed out late in the evening, like a take-away favour for the drive home, almost always disappear. If you care about waste, our ideas for eco-friendly wedding favours keep the plastic off the tables. And if you're doing a dessert table already, a few takeaway boxes beside it can replace favours altogether, which is worth weighing up against our wedding cake cost guide.

Wedding favour prices across South Africa

Favours are one of the few wedding items that cost much the same everywhere, because most suppliers sell online and courier nationwide. What changes is delivery, local specialities and what guests expect.

In Gauteng, you'll find the widest range of suppliers and the most competitive bulk prices, and courier delivery within the province is quick and cheap. In the Western Cape, wine farms and local producers often supply miniature wines, olive oil or preserves, and some venues will help you source them at cellar prices. In KwaZulu-Natal, perfume bars and sweet stations are especially popular at Indian South African weddings, where favours and gifts for guests are often a bigger part of the celebration. In smaller towns, local bakers and home industries can be the best value of all for edible favours, as long as you order early.

Traditional and multi-day celebrations may need favours or gifts for more than one event, so budget per event rather than once. You can browse every favours and accessories supplier in our directory by region and send one brief to several at once.

When to order, and how payment works

Order personalised favours two to three months before the wedding. Most suppliers need three to six weeks for printing and production, and you want time to check a proof and fix a spelling mistake. Shelf-stable edibles can be ordered six to eight weeks ahead. Fresh baked goods should be ordered early but delivered in the final week.

Small favour orders are usually paid in full upfront, since they're made for you. Larger custom orders and stations often take a 50% deposit with the balance before the wedding. Personalised items are almost never refundable, so confirm your final numbers and spellings before you approve the proof. Ask about the delivery date, how favours are packed, and whether the supplier will deliver straight to the venue.

How to spend less on wedding favours

• Give one per couple or household. It can nearly halve the quantity without anyone feeling left out.
• Make the favour work twice. A succulent or a personalised biscuit can also be the place card.
• Personalise the tag, not the product. A printed tag on plain packaging costs a fraction of custom-printed items.
• Buy in bulk and assemble yourself. Get bridesmaids or family round for an evening, and keep it to one simple step.
• Choose edible or useful. You'll waste less money on favours left behind.
• Skip them entirely. A charity donation card, a late-night snack or a great dessert table does the same job, and many guests won't miss a trinket.
• Order early. No rush fees, no express courier, and time to compare quotes.

Favours are a thank you, and so are the gifts for the people who helped most. Our guides to bridesmaid gift ideas and creative thank-yous cover the rest. For more favour inspiration, see our round-up of wedding favour ideas.

Frequently asked questions

How much do wedding favours cost in South Africa?

Most couples spend R20 to R80 per guest in 2026, or roughly R2,000 to R8,000 for 100 guests. Simple sweets can cost under R15 a guest, while keepsakes and favour stations can pass R150.

How much should I spend on wedding favours per guest?

R20 to R35 per guest is the sweet spot for a personalised edible or a small plant. Spend more only if the favour is something guests will genuinely use or remember.

Do you need wedding favours?

No. Favours are optional, and many couples skip them or replace them with a charity donation, a late-night snack or a dessert table. Guests rarely notice their absence.

What are popular wedding favours in South Africa?

Mini jams and honey, rooibos tea, biltong, succulents, seed packets, miniature Amarula or wine, personalised sweets and, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, perfume bars.

Is one favour per couple acceptable?

Yes. One favour per couple or household is common and perfectly polite, especially for larger keepsakes or drinks miniatures, and it can nearly halve the cost.

When should I order wedding favours?

Order personalised favours two to three months before the wedding to allow for production, proofs and delivery. Fresh baked favours should be delivered in the final week.