Zari started at a birthday party.
We came home that night with the same question my husband and I would spend the next year trying to answer, why has gift-giving, of all things, become the easy way out?
01 - THE PARTY THAT STARTED IT
Twenty-five cakes, and a question.
Zari was created after my husband and I came home from a birthday party where the celebrant was gifted at least twenty-five birthday cakes. They made for nice Instagram pictures, and then ended up being shared with the guests on the way out the door.
02 - THE GROUPCHAT
Cash, the other shortcut.
Around the same time, my group of friends sat down and made what felt like an entirely reasonable decision: from now on we would just send each other cash. Everyone could buy what they actually wanted.
We were not wrong, but it bothered me. Cash is convenient. It is also the clearest possible way of saying I trust you to do the thinking. And somewhere between the cake table and the group chat, I realised we had quietly stopped doing the thinking for each other altogether.
03 - THE IDEA
Built around a person.
So we built Zari: a way that pairs beautifully packaged gift cards with curated physical gifts. Creative on the outside, considered on the inside, easy on the sender. Receiving a Zari box should feel like the person who sent it put in the extra effort to make you feel special, because we did the heavy lifting on their behalf.
01 - THE PARTY THAT STARTED IT
Twenty-five cakes, and a question.
Zari was created after my husband and I came home from a birthday party where the celebrant was gifted at least twenty-five birthday cakes. They made for nice Instagram pictures, and then ended up being shared with the guests on the way out the door.
02 - THE GROUPCHAT
Cash, the other shortcut.
Around the same time, my group of friends sat down and made what felt like an entirely reasonable decision: from now on we would just send each other cash. Everyone could buy what they actually wanted.
We were not wrong, but it bothered me. Cash is convenient. It is also the clearest possible way of saying I trust you to do the thinking. And somewhere between the cake table and the group chat, I realised we had quietly stopped doing the thinking for each other altogether.
03 - THE IDEA
Built around a person.
So we built Zari: a way that pairs beautifully packaged gift cards with curated physical gifts. Creative on the outside, considered on the inside, easy on the sender. Receiving a Zari box should feel like the person who sent it put in the extra effort to make you feel special, because we did the heavy lifting on their behalf.
Meet the founder
Zainab built Zari to make gifting personal again.
“The gifts I've never forgotten weren't the grandest ones. They were the ones that proved someone truly knew me, my taste, my season of life. That feeling is what we package at Zari.”
A Nigerian company importing Harrods hampers for corporate gifting, beautiful, and yet Zainab couldn't stop thinking that Nigeria could do better. That our own makers, our own flavours, our own hands could fill a box more beautiful than anything flown in. But if the hamper was the spark, the frustration came first: gifting here had become a script. Cake, flowers, repeat, the same gesture sent to a hundred people, saying nothing about any of them. So Zari was built on a quieter idea: that a gift should begin with a person, not a product.
Zari is also, deliberately, a house built by women. From the founder's desk to the small women-owned businesses whose work fills our boxes.
Lastly, behind it all is family. A husband who believed first and pushed hardest, and two little boys who remind Zainab daily why this has to be built with excellence, something meaningful enough to last.
Gifts Delivered
Artisans Empowered
States Delivered to
Average Customer Rating
Gifts Delivered
Artisans Empowered
States Delivered to
Average Customer Rating
Three things we hold every box to.
i.
Quality Craftsmanship
Commit to delivering gifts of exceptional quality, showcasing the craftsmanship of local artisans and ensuring every product meets our high standards.
ii.
Built around the person you're gifting.
Prioritize the needs and satisfaction of our customers, ensuring a seamless and delightful experience from browsing to receiving their chosen gifts.
iii.
Transparency & Integrity
Operate with transparency and integrity, building trust with customers, partners, and employees through open communication and ethical business.
Our mission & vision
Our mission is to provide an easy-to-use platform for curating and delivering unique gifts & experiences to your loved ones in just a few simple clicks.
Visit our Abuja store
Our flagship workroom is open six days a week in Maitama district. Walk in, browse the makers, watch a box being built, leave with one in hand.
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat (10am - 6pm)
Visit our store at No. 41, Osun Crescent, Maitama District, Abuja, 904101, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. We open Mondays to Saturdays from 10am-7pm and on Sundays by appointment.